Jakarta  - An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced to two years in prison the pilot of a Garuda Indonesia jetliner that crash-landed at Central Java's Yogyakarta airport two years ago, killing 21 people.

The majority of a panel of five judges at Central Java's Sleman District Court found Marwoto Komar guilty of negligence that caused deaths, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Government prosecutors, who had sought a four-year sentence, accused Komar of ignoring warnings from his co-pilot not to land the plane as he brought it in at twice the speed considered safe.

Komar had denied the charges against him. In previous court hearings, he blamed the disaster on strong winds and technical problems.

Komar said he would appeal the verdict to a higher court.

On March 7, 2007, the Boeing jetliner belonging to Garuda Indonesia, the country's national carrier, skidded off the runway after landing, bursting into flames.

At least 21 people, including five Australians, were killed in the crash, and dozens of others were injured.

Despite some improvements since 2007, Indonesia, which relies heavily on air links across the archipelago, still has one of Asia's worst air safety records. (dpa)