Flap Error May Have Caused Spanair Crash

Pilots of the Spanair jet that crashed last month didn't extend the aircraft's flaps before takeoff—and an electrical malfunction likely kept them from getting a warning about it, the Wall Street Journal reports. The flaps, on the backs of wings, are needed for an extra lift when an aircraft takes off. Investigators are looking at why a pre-takeoff checklist didn't catch the error. (More Spanair stories.)