Friday, March 28, 2003
Swissair wiring cited in crash killing 229
The Transportation Safety Board slams the FAA over poor installation checks.

By ALISON AULD, CP


HALIFAX -- Wiring that powered a controversial entertainment system combined with highly flammable insulation to feed a deadly fire that brought down Swissair Flight 111 off Nova Scotia in 1998, investigators said yesterday.

In releasing its final report into the country's longest and costliest accident investigation, the Transportation Safety Board didn't identify the exact source of a fire that caused massive electrical failure on the MD-11 but concluded it was linked to the improperly installed gaming system.

The 338-page document outlined a fateful sequence of events that started when wire began arcing in a hidden area above the cockpit ceiling.

"This particular arc site was found on one of the wires that supplied power to the inflight entertainment network," lead investigator Vic Gerden said at the release of the report into the Sept. 2, 1998, crash that killed 229 people.

The arcing -- in which a wire's coating is corroded and can lead to sparking -- ignited a flammable insulation covering, allowing the fire to race through the plane's wiring system.

"It is important to emphasize that without the presence of this and other flammable materials, this accident would not have happened," Gerden said, holding up a pillow-sized piece of the metallic insulation.

The board recovered 20 pieces of wire from the plane that showed melted copper, indicative of arcing damage. At least one of the damaged wires was from the entertainment unit but others were retrieved from the wreckage, leading investigators to believe it was likely not the only wire involved in the arcing.

"We strongly suspect that at least one other wire was involved, either an aircraft wire or another entertainment system wire," Gerden said.

The safety board also implicated the powerful U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for failing to ensure the entertainment system was installed and certified properly.

The program, which allowed passengers in the first-class section to gamble, play video games and watch movies, was found on test flights to raise cabin temperatures and cause hard drives in the seats to fail.

Officials said the FAA distanced itself too much from the installation of the entertainment unit, which was unique to Swissair's fleet.

As part of its 23 recommendations, the board called for increased scrutiny in the certification of systems added to aircraft.

"The FAA failed in every respect to ensure the safety of the 229 people that boarded that aircraft," said Lyn Romano, whose husband Ray was on board the flight.

Les Dorr, a spokesperson for the FAA, said the group has begun looking into the process since media reports surfaced about the installation being rushed and safety concerns overlooked.

http://www.canoe.ca/LondonNews/lf.lf-03-28-0032.html