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Faulty part was factor in crash that killed 162 in AirAsia crash

The plane's flight-control computer had a cracked solder joint that malfunctioned repeatedly
The plane's flight-control computer had a cracked solder joint that malfunctioned repeatedly

Indonesian investigators have said that a faulty component and the crew's attempt to fix the problem were among the factors that contributed to the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last year, killing all 162 aboard.

The plane's flight-control computer had a cracked solder joint that malfunctioned repeatedly, including four times during the flight and 23 times the previous year.     

"Subsequent flight crew action resulted in inability to control the aircraft ... causing the aircraft to depart from the normal flight envelope and enter a prolonged stall condition that was beyond the capability of the flight crew to recover," the national transport safety committee said in a statement.            

The Airbus A320 aircraft crashed less than halfway into a two-hour flight

 The Airbus A320 aircraft crashed less than halfway into a two-hour flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore on December 28 last year.

The plane went into a "prolonged stall condition that was beyond the capability of the crew to recover", it said.

It added the flight data recorders did not indicate the weather had affected the aircraft.