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Canberra: Powerful signals from a secret US-Australian navy communications base could have caused a Qantas Airbus jet to plunge last month, injuring scores of passengers, Australia's air safety agency said on Friday.
The Airbus, with 303 passengers and 10 crew, plummeted more than 1,000 feet in over a minute on October 7 while on the way to Perth from Singapore.
In a preliminary report, Australia's Transport Safety Bureau said investigators were looking at the possibility that the aircraft's flight computers were affected by a strong burst of electromagnetic interference.
"Possible external sources of electromagnetic interference are being explored and assessed, including from the Harold E. Holt very low frequency transmitter near Exmouth, Western Australia," said bureau capability director Kerryn Macaulay.
However, Macaulay said it was more likely the mishap was caused by something else, including an electronic device or laptop computer, as the aircraft was 200kms away from the naval base when the nosedive occurred.
The air safety agency said it would begin detailed testing of the aircraft computers on Monday.
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