In her final briefing to reporters before heading back to Washington, D.C., National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Deborah Hersman seemed to rule out mechanical error, intensifying the focus on the pilots.
But after a week of remarkably candid press briefings, Hersman made clear investigators still "have a lot of information to review."
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Hersman released new details of the investigation so far:
On Wednesday, Hersman told reporters that the "flying pilot" in the left seat told investigators that he was temporarily blinded by a "flash of light'' while landing. But on Thursday, she seemed to discount the importance of the flash, saying the pilot "stated he did not believe it affected his vision and he was able to see the cockpit instruments."
Cockpit voice recordings captured no discussions about the light "or of the flying pilot seeing the light," Hersman said. "Neither of the other two flight crew members mentioned this light during our interviews." Hersman said the light may have been a reflection of the sun.
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The plane's two Pratt & Whitney engines and flight controls appeared "to be responding as expected. ... There is no anomalous behavior of the autopilot, of the flight director and of the auto throttles."
