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Aviation secretary blames pilot error for crash

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The CD-7412 Alliance Air flight crash was most likely caused by pilot error, Civil Aviation Secretary A H Jung has said.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Jung said the plane approached the airport at a "lower height than required".

Jung said normal checks conducted on the aircraft before it took off from Calcutta had confirmed that it was in good condition and there were no flaws.

"Our guess is that Captain Sohan Pal, the pilot, made the approach at a lower height than required," he said.

Jung feared the casualties would be on the higher side. So far 10 bodies have been retrieved, but he said the total number of casualties was not yet known.

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