Pilot error may have caused Myanmar crash: Probe

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - An investigation into the Christmas Day crash of a passenger plane in Myanmar that killed two people suggests pilot error may have been to blame, a top Myanmar aviation official said Friday.

Civil Aviation Department Deputy Director General Win Swe Tun told a news conference that the pilots failed to decide quickly enough whether to use visual or instrument guides for landing in foggy conditions.

He said no evidence was found suggesting engine failure, security-related issues or malfunctioning of flight controls, based on a report prepared with the aid of aviation experts from the Australian Transport Safety Board, which examined the "black box" with flight data recovered from the crashed aircraft.

The Air Bagan Fokker 100 jet was carrying 71 people, including 48 foreigners, from Yangon city via Mandalay to Heho airport, the gateway to Inle Lake, a popular tourist destination. It struck power lines just 10 meters off the ground as it was making its descent and crashed into a rice paddy.