Swissair 111 wreckage studied for training

The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, October 4, 2003

The Transportation Safety Board hopes to use the reconstructed remains of Swissair 111 to train crash investigators.

"There's a significant number of investigators from around the world that might be able to learn from it," said Vic Gerden, chief Canadian investigator into the September 1998 crash off Peggy's Cove that killed 229 passengers and crew.

Much of what remains of the jet sits in Hangar J at 12 Wing Shearwater in Eastern Passage. Although the hangar suffered some damage from Hurricane Juan earlier this week, the reconstruction wasn't seriously harmed.

In the 16 months following the crash, about 98 per cent of the aircraft by weight was recovered from the ocean floor. Investigators rebuilt the plane using many of the millions of pieces.

Thanks CD. I also found the following article in the Halifax Herald today:

Saturday, October 4, 2003 Back The Halifax Herald Limited

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Rebuilt Swissair wreckage to be used for training

By Dan Arsenault / Staff Reporter

The Transportation Safety Board hopes to use the reconstructed remains of Swissair 111 to train crash investigators.

"There's a significant number of investigators from around the world that might be able to learn from it," said Vic Gerden, chief Canadian investigator into the September 1998 crash off Peggys Cove that killed 229 passengers and crew.

Much of what remains of the jet sits in Hangar J at 12 Wing Shearwater in Eastern Passage. Although the hangar suffered some damage from hurricane Juan, the reconstruction wasn't seriously harmed.

In the 16 months following the crash, about 98 per cent of the aircraft - by weight - was recovered from the ocean floor. Investigators rebuilt the plane using many of the millions of pieces.

In its final report, the board concluded a fire downed the jet, "most likely started from an electrical arcing event that occurred above the ceiling on the right side of the cockpit near the cockpit rear wall."

The owner of the wreckage, a group of insurance companies handling the case for Swissair, is responsible for the mock-up until all litigation is over.

Mr. Gerden doesn't know when that will be but he thinks the insurers will eventually let the board have the rebuilt wreckage.

"If an investigation agency requests it for investigation purposes I wouldn't anticipate there being a problem," he said.

Besides board experts, the reconstruction effort had help from the military, the RCMP, Swissair staff and the plane's builders.

He said instructors can use the wreckage to show trainees a rarely seen cause of a crash.

"There were various techniques that were used to assess the heat pattern, for example, to help determine the propagation of the fire.

"It was really the only way to establish what the heat pattern in the airplane was."

Ian Shaw of West Dover, whose daughter Stephanie died in the crash, said he likes the idea of using the wreckage for training but doesn't think it should ever be open for public viewing.

Mr. Shaw, originally from Switzerland, moved to Nova Scotia after the crash and opened a restaurant.


http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2003/10/04/pNovaScotia203.raw.html

I completely agree with Mr. Shaw.