Human error, faulty sensor behind crash

MOSCOW » Human error may be to blame for the Russian plane crash that killed 71 people, Russian investigators said Tuesday, noting that the plane’s pilots failed to turn on the heating unit for its measuring equipment, resulting in flawed speed data.

After studying the An148’s flight data recorder, the Interstate Aviation Committee said a Sunday crash near Moscow happened after pilots saw conflicting data on the plane’s two air speed indicators.

The flawed readings came because pilots failed to turn on a heating unit for the plane pressure measurement equipment prior to takeoff, the committee said.

The pilots placed the An-148 on autopilot after taking off from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport but took its manual controls back when they heard alarm signals warning of conflicting speed data. One indicator showed the plane’s speed at zero, investigators said. The pilots then performed a series of maneuvers and eventually took the plane into a dive.