Air France flight 447 apparently sent a burst of automatic messages during its last minutes, one of which pointed out to a possible rudder problem, the Associated Press reports. However, this does not completely explain how the jet, carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on May 31.

The packet of automatic messages included 24 such messages, one of which noted a problem in the plane’s rudder limiter, which was responsible for limiting rudder movement. However, the vertical stabilizer – which included the rudder mechanisms – has been found nearly intact.

Air France flight 447, an Airbus A330, automatically send such messages about onboard equipment and peripherals on regular intervals during a plane’s flight. This information is received by ground control, and is used to prep the ground crew for repairs once the plane lands.

The message referring to the rudder did not detail a malfunction, but rather that it had just locked itself due to variations in the plane’s speed readings.

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