Software Error Crippled Radar That Could Have Saved Plane

A software error crippled an airport radar system that might have prevented last week’s deadly crash of a Korean Air jet in Guam, federal investigators said Sunday.

The FAA Radar Minimum Safe Altitude Warning normally issues an alert if a jet is flying too low, and officials on the ground inform the pilot. But federal investigators said the system - located at Andersen Air Force Base - was modified recently and an error apparently was inserted into the software.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the software error is not the culprit in Wednesday’s crash of Korean Air Flight 801, which crashed and skidded along a hillside overlooking Guam International Airport.

A properly working system, however, could have allowed the pilot to be notified in time to pull the jet to a higher altitude.

“This is not a cause - it might have possibly been a prevention,” said George Black, an NTSB member.

The finding is a major piece in the puzzle of the crash, which killed 225 people. Investigators believe the pilot had full control of the jet when it crashed, and are looking for clues to explain why he was flying so low.