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HALIFAX -- Incorrect data entered into takeoff software was partly to blame for the fiery crash of a Boeing 747 cargo plane in Halifax that killed seven crew members, the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday when it released its final report into the accident.

The board found that crew fatigue aboard the MK Airlines Ltd. jet "increased the probability" of making such a crucial mistake.

It also finds that the company didn't provide "formal training" on the software, and it's likely the crew member involved "was not fully conversant with the software."

The report says the crew failed to notice the error and the result was the throttles for the engines were set too low before the crash occurred in October 2004.

"Our investigation . . . underscored the importance of well-rested, attentive and fully trained crews," said

Wendy Tadros, the board's acting chairwoman. "It also showed us that airline companies must actively ensure that their crews adhere to proper procedures."

MK Airlines, a British-based company which flies aircraft registered in Ghana, has said it believes the crew received adequate rest and that it provided them with training.

Investigators had earlier concluded the heavily laden aircraft simply didn't have enough speed or power to make it off the runway.

The board's sole formal recommendation is that international aviation authorities require cargo aircraft to be equipped with a device that would sound an alert when there is not enough power to take off safely.

"This investigation has shown that the problem we are addressing today is a pervasive problem," said Tadros. "Our recommendation has the potential to make air travel safer, not only here in Canada, but around the world."

Tadros said the board found evidence of 12 similar accidents worldwide that cost 300 lives.

"This is why we believe we need an additional line of defence -- a mechanism to catch the unexpected errors," she told a news conference.

The MK Airlines plane, carrying lobsters and tractor parts, failed to lift off and dragged its tail along the runway before breaking up and erupting into flames in a wooded area near Halifax International Airport.

The board's analysis states that factors involved in the incorrect take-off data included, "flight crew fatigue, non-adherence to procedure, inadequate training on the Boeing laptop tool, and personal stresses."

A news release from MK Airlines says the report's findings cannot be regarded as conclusive because there was no cockpit voice recording of the pilots and first officers final words.

The report, "would always contain a significant element of conjecture," said the release from the firm.

Dave Wilson, a spokesman for the company, insisted the training on the takeoff software was sufficient.

"When we took the (software) we actually asked the manufacturer for guidance and we unilaterally developed a self-study training program, which included a 46-page guide for flight crews," he said.

As for the crew's fatigue, referred to repeatedly in the report, Wilson said the firm was "operating within legal (rest) time limits, using an approved flight scheme that is deemed acceptable by our industry."

The report noted that at the time of the accident, the crew had been on duty for 24 hours, the maximum allowed under MK's own operating manual.

However, the board adds that had the flight taken off successfully, the flight would have been in the air six hours more than allowed.

Wilson responded that when at the point of the crash, "they (the crew) were within their time limits at the time."

The plane's entire crew was killed, including Capt. Michael Thornycroft, a resident of South Africa, as well as Capt. David Lamb and flight engineers Pete Launder and Steve Hooper, all residents of Zimbabwe.

Also killed were ground engineer Mario Zahn, a German who lived in South Africa, and loadmaster Chris Strydom and first officer Gary Keough, both of Zimbabwe.