Automatic throttle issue suspected over Indonesian plane disaster

Relatives weep as they pray during the burial of Fadly Satrianto, a victim of the crash of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 in Surabaya, East Java (AP)

A malfunctioning automatic throttle may have caused the pilots of a Sriwijaya Air jet to lose control, leading to the Boeing plane’s plunge into the Java Sea last month, Indonesian investigators have said.

National transportation safety committee investigators said they are still struggling to understand why the jet nosedived into the water minutes after taking off from Jakarta on January 9, killing all 62 people on board.