The investigation into the crash of a Spanish DHL plane in Vilnius last year found no evidence of foul play, Lithuanian Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus told reporters on Wednesday.
“The key message we want to convey to the public is that no signs of illegal interference or terrorism have been found in connection with the crash of this cargo plane” in November last year, Mockus said.
As the plane approached Vilnius Airport and prepared to land, the aircraft's black box showed that the plane's hydraulic system B was switched off, according to Laurynas Naujokaitis, head of the ministry's Safety Investigation Division.
“At that time, the flaps were in the 0-degree position. The approach continued until the ground proximity warning was activated. Shortly afterwards, the aircraft crashed," Naujokaitis said.
“To sum up very briefly, Swiftair's Boeing 737-400 cargo plane flew from Leipzig to Vilnius. The flight took place at night, the aircraft's flight recorders show that the crew communicated about work at all times, and there is no evidence of any unlawful interference in aviation activities,” Naujokaitis said.
The aircraft's inspection at the site found no signs of malfunctioning before the impact with the ground, he added.
“The inspection shows that the fire broke out only after the impact with the ground. The internal examination of the aircraft did not reveal any indication that the fire occurred before the impact with the ground,” Naujokaitis said.
Despite this evidence, he said, various components of the aircraft have been sent for further examination and the conclusion is pending.
Human error
Lithuanian prosecutors said last week they wanted a pilot named suspect in the DHL plane crash case and maintained that the accident was caused by human error.
Other versions of the accident had been refuted by the data obtained during the investigation, the prosecution service said.
BNS reported earlier that a Boeing belonging to Swiftair and carrying DHL parcels crashed on approach to Vilnius airport on the morning of
During the crash on November 25, the Spanish pilot who was controlling the plane was killed, while another Spanish pilot, as well as a German and a Lithuanian crew member, were injured.
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