A federal report suggests the crew of a private jet that crashed in Massachusetts, killing Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz and six other people, didn't perform a flight control check before attempting takeoff.

A preliminary report Friday from the National Transportation Safety Board on the May 31 crash at Hanscom Field also indicated a possible problem with a mechanical gust lock system, which protects aircraft components from wind damage while planes are parked. Aviation experts say the plane would have been unable to take off if the lock was engaged.

Data from the Gulfstream's flight data recorders indicated the plane never lifted off before it went off a runway, crashed into a gulley and burst into flames.

The report doesn't identify a potential cause for the crash.

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