Madrid - The technician who fixed a technical problem on a passenger plane that crashed on August 20 did not comply with the instructions of plane maker Boeing because the Spanish airline had not included them in its handbook, the daily El Mundo reported Friday.

The Spanair MD-82 crashed at Madrid airport after take-off, killing 154 and injuring 18 people. The plane was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997.

Before the flight, a technician inspected a temperature gauge that had broken down five times in 48 hours, according to El Mundo.

The technician disconnected the gauge, which is not necessary for planes to operate.

He did not, however, check the other 26 mechanisms linked with the gauge, including the sound alarm that failed to warn the pilots that the plane's wing flaps were not properly deployed, the daily said.

The flaps help to lift planes on take-off.

A commission of experts is investigating the Madrid air crash. (dpa)