Failure to conduct safety checks caused Malaysia Airlines flight to turn back in Brisbane in July

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): The Australian authorities have confirmed in a report that the omission of some mandatory pre-departure checks was the reason why Malaysia Airlines flight MH134 had to turn back and perform an emergency landing at the Brisbane Airport on July 18.

The crew did not notice that the plane's pitot probes - which measure air pressure to assess speed - were covered, resulting in an air-speed indication failure, according to a preliminary report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Thursday (Aug 30).