X

Report: Trojan a factor in fatal Spanair crash?

A crash that killed 154 people two years ago may have been partly caused by a mainframe contaminated with malware, according to a report in Spain's top newspaper.

David Meyer Special to CNET News.com

The Spanair plane crash that killed 154 people two years ago Friday may have been partly caused by malware, according to reports.

El Pais, Spain's top newspaper, reported Friday that Spanair's mainframe was contaminated with Trojans at the time that Flight JK 5022 to Gran Canaria crashed just after take-off at Madrid's Barajas airport.

The mainframe was supposed to raise the alarm when three similar technical problems were noted, but did not do so due to the infestation, El Pais said.

According to the report, investigating judge Juan David Perez has ordered Spanair to turn over relevant data. There are currently two defendants in the case, both Spanair technicians.

The story "Trojan may have contributed to fatal Spanair crash" was originally posted to ZDNet UK.