Faulty Gear, Pilot Caused Crash

The combination of a faulty airspeed indicator and pilot error caused last month’s crash of a Turkish jetliner that killed 189 people, Dominican officials said Saturday.

The report, issued by the Dominican aviation authority late Friday, confirms preliminary findings two weeks ago.

A two-page version of the report distributed to the press also absolved Dominican air traffic controllers of contributing to the crash and said the aircraft had no other mechanical defects.

The findings are based on data from flight recorders recovered from the ocean floor last month.

Gen. Hector Roman Torres, chief of the Dominican aviation authority, said the report concludes the investigation into the crash of the Boeing 757 shortly after takeoff.

But Mike Benson, spokesman for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which is providing technical assistance to the Dominican-led probe, said the investigation continues.

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