Crash probe launched

A full investigation was launched yesterday by a Palma court to establish what caused Friday's air crash at the airport which killed two people, the pilot and co-pilot. The crash investigation will be a complicated affair and the pilots' union SEPLA has already called for the probe to be carried out as quickly as possible and a swift result. The SW3 cargo plane, which crashed just before landing at 5.10am, having taken off from Madrid, was fitted with two black boxes and the data contained will prove crucial to the investigation. One of the black boxes will contain a recording of the pilots' conversations in the cockpit. The recording will enable the investigators to establish if either of the two men was aware of a problem prior to the crash. What has already been established is that neither of the pilots contacted Palma air traffic control to report any problems. The only contact made was for permission to land. The other black box contains all the technical data from the flight and the information from this box will prove fundamental to the investigation. The investigators will also be looking into a host of other aspects, such as was the cargo plane carrying too much weight - which was apparently one of the initial theories, according to sources close to the investigation. The airline which operated the cargo plane is for the moment saying nothing. A team of company directors flew to Majorca immediately on Friday to be at the crash scene and help in the investigation. On Monday, autopsies are expected to be carried out on the pilots to establish the cause of death.