An Indonesian pilot was sentenced to two years in prison Monday for a 2007 jetliner crash that killed 21 people.
Capt. Marwoto Komar was approaching the Yogyakarta runway at almost double the normal speed when his Garuda Boeing 737-400 careered into a rice paddy and burst into flames. An investigation found he ignored 15 automated warnings and calls by his co-pilot to circle around again before landing.
"His negligence caused loss of life," presiding judge Sri Andini told the packed Sleman District Court as he handed down the two-year sentence. "And because he didn't tell Air Traffic Control he was going to attempt a landing anyway, emergency workers didn't have time to prepare."
Komar, a 22-year career pilot, blamed mechanical problems.
He told the court during the lengthy trial he knew the plane was coming in too steeply, causing it to rapidly accelerate, but when he turned off the automatic pilot and tried to pull up the nose manually, it did not respond.
His lawyer said he would appeal.
Nearly 120 people survived the crash, many with severe burns. Among the dead and injured were Australian diplomats, police, military personnel and journalists who were following a visit by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to the city in central Java.
Prosecutors initially alleged Komar deliberately tried to down the plane _ charges that could have landed him in prison for life _ but they changed the allegation to negligence.
Gideon Ewers, of the London-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association, said because police launched a criminal investigation, not enough attention was paid to potential technical problems.
"As a result it was never established why the crew failed to abandon their approach to a landing which, it appears, could not safely be made," he said. "We've learned nothing."
Indonesia has one of Asia's worst aviation records and its planes have been blacklisted from landing in the European Union. Experts say poor maintenance, rule-bending and a shortage of properly trained pilots may be to blame.
A military plane crashed into an airport hangar in the city of Bandung in rainy weather Monday. An air force spokesman said 24 people were feared dead.
