Another explanation is a problem with the SD card controller software .

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On the tapes, First Officer Richard Hazen tells a Miami ground controller: "We've got a problem, " he says in a relatively calm voice.

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He doesn't bring good news: The problem is in the firmware of the display controller, but he adds that he's already talked to IBM, has arranged to have an address box sent to me so I can send the laptop in to Big Blue, and hands me a slip of paper with my IBM work order number on it.

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Another problem: building a plane that would stabilize itself if a user put down its controller.

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"We take this incident extremely seriously and would like to reassure consumers that we have taken rigorous steps to ensure this problem does not occur again, " said Michael Murphy, Irwin's commercial controller.

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