A disconnected thrust reverser on the airliner which overshot a runway in Brazil emerged today as a possible factor in the crash in which 190 people were killed.

A TAM jet pulled out of an attempted landing today at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport, and federal prosecutors sought a court order to shut the entire airport - Brazil’s busiest – until the investigation into this week’s crash that killed at least 189 people is completed.

A top aviation official denied that a short, slippery runway was to blame for Brazil’s worst air disaster.

The pilot of an airliner that burst into flames after trying to land on a short, rain-slicked runway apparently tried to take off again, barely clearing rush-hour traffic on a major highway. The death toll rose today to 189 and could climb higher.

The president of Brazil declared a state of mourning after more than 200 people were feared dead in what is believed to be the country’s deadliest air disaster.