Mozambique Airlines expresses shock at crash findings

Mozambique Airlines has expressed "deep concern and shock" at the findings of the Nov 29 air crash, which were released by the authorities showing that the pilot deliberately brought the plane down.

The airlines issued a press release Sunday night, saying the company "will request the detailed report which shows and proves the facts leading to the preliminary conclusions", and it will continue to "cooperate fully with the investigating authorities", Xinhua reported.

The preliminary report announced by the Institute of Civil Aviation of Mozambique indicated that the disaster, which killed all 33 passengers on board, was caused deliberately by the pilot, Herminio dos Santos.

The report said the altitude selector was manually altered three times, and such operations required detailed knowledge of the plane's controls, showing a clear intention to crash the aircraft.

A Mozambique Airlines plane en-route to Angola crashed in a game park in Namibia Nov 29.