Pilot error a factor in 2013 Lion Air crash off Bali, inquiry finds

Pilot errors, inadequate crew training and lapses in emergency procedures led to a plane operated by fast-growing budget carrier Lion Air crashing into the sea off Bali in April 2013, according to a final report into the incident.

None of the 108 passengers and crew died in the incident, which took place as heavy rain affected visibility for a Boeing 737-800 on a scheduled flight from Bandung. Four people suffered serious injuries.

The report comes as Lion Air tries to get itself removed from an EU safety blacklist. The low-cost carrier has suffered eight serious accidents since 2002, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

The 2013 crash occurred as the jet descended towards the Indonesian island. The 24-year-old first officer was unable to see the runway in the downpour, according to the report by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee. The pilots flew the plane manually, but displayed a lack of "situational awareness", it said.

Both the captain and first officer, since fired, also failed to adequately follow the airline's operating manual, the report said.

Lion Air has since bolstered its training programmes.