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The sudden plunge of a Qantas airliner last week, injuring scores of passengers on the flight from Singapore to Perth, was caused by an error in the automatic pilot system, Australia's air safety agency said on Tuesday.

The incident was a "unique event" but was serious enough to prompt Airbus to issue emergency guidelines to airlines worldwide operating the Airbus A330-300 in the event of a similar emergency, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau director, Julian Walsh, said in Canberra.

"Incorrect values led to the flight control computers commanding a nose down aircraft movement and the aircraft pitching down," Walsh said.