The Spanish jet that crashed at Madrid airport last month, killing 154 people, did not have its wing flaps set for take off, The Independent Newspaper reported Tuesday, citing investigators' statements.

The pilots were unaware that the vital devices, which provide extra lifting power, had not been deployed because a cockpit warning alert did not go off.

The findings are based on information from the MD-82's flight and cockpit voice recorders.

The report claimed further study was needed of a malfunction of an air temperature gauge outside the cockpit, which forced the pilot to abandon a first take off attempt.

The data recorder showed no evidence of problems with the plane's two engines, it added.

But the flight recorder did reveal that from the time the plane's engines started on the runway until the crash itself, sensors measuring the position of the flaps gave a reading of "zero degrees," which means they did not extend as they were supposed to.

Some of the 18 survivors have said the plane struggled to gain speed and altitude during takeoff. The report said the plane only got 40 feet off the ground.

The policy of the Spanair airline company is to check the system before a plane's first flight of the day and during stopovers, but in the latter case only if an entirely new cockpit crew takes over for the continuing leg.

If one member of the cockpit crew stays on for the next leg, Spanair does not carry out such checks and this was the case of the plane that crashed.

Spanair official declined to comment.