Indonesia's transport minister said Tuesday that the AirAsia flight that crashed into the Java Sea last month stalled because it was climbing too fast for the wings to generate lift.
Ignasius Jonan told Indonesian lawmakers that radar data indicated the Airbus A320 was climbing at a rate of about 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) per minute just before the crash December 28. He said the normal rate for commercial planes is only about 300 to 600 meters (980 to 1970) feet per minute.
None of the 162 people on board the jet survived.
The plane went down in stormy weather on what was supposed to be a short trip from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Indonesia's meteorological agency has suggested the bad weather may have played a role in the crash.
The pilot did seek permission to climb to avoid big storm clouds just before the accident, but air traffic controllers denied the request because of heavy air traffic.
