Fire Traces Found in Jet's Wiring

Swissair Unhooks Gaming Systems

Swissair Gaming System Probed

Don Phillips Washington Post Staff Writer
October 30, 1998; Page A1
Investigators discovered evidence of fire and electrical damage in the wiring of Swissair Flight 111's in-flight entertainment and gambling system, prompting the airline yesterday to disconnect it on its other planes. Sources close to the probe of the Sept. 2 crash said all the insulation was burned off three of the four sets of wires coming from the sophisticated system, located above and behind the cockpit, and there was clear evidence of electrical arcing, or sparks. A preliminary investigation has raised concerns about the amount of heat that the cutting-edge electronics produces, as well as the manner in which it was connected to the aircraft's main electrical power, the sources said.

Swissair and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in brief statements that there is insufficient evidence so far to determine whether the wiring played a role in the New York-Geneva flight's plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 229 onboard. The Canadian board said it is possible the damage was "merely the byproduct of other events" on the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 jet.

Although the Canadian safety board said that this particular system was "unique to the Swissair fleet," sources said investigators and regulators want to take a new look at onboard video and gaming systems that some airlines are installing on long-distance jets to woo customers.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which must certify the entertainment equipment and the repair facility that installs it, is said to be already poring over the paperwork involved in earlier approvals, and has inspected one Swissair MD-11 at Los Angeles, finding no problems.

Swissair was a pioneer in onboard gambling systems, installing the first one early last year. The system consists of large processors and recorders above the forward part of the cabin with wires leading through the roof and walls to flat color LCD displays at each seat. In addition to gambling, passengers simply touch the screen to choose from about a dozen movies, music in 10 languages and numerous other features.

Swissair, in its promotional literature, touted the system as providing "the Swissair passenger with an unprecedented degree of freedom and choice." The airline said yesterday that it would turn off the systems on its remaining 15 MD-11s and a similar system on three Boeing 747s, forcing passengers back to the older system of a single movie and limited music selection. The system "has not been identified as a cause of the accident of SR111," the airline said in a statement, adding it may reactivate the system, depending on the outcome of the investigation.

Weeks or months may be required to determine whether the entertainment system was a crash cause. However, the investigation may result in safety upgrades for the system, just as the crash already has resulted in an FAA announcement that aircraft heat and sound insulation has inadequate fire-retardant capabilities and will have to be replaced on almost all jetliners over time.

Other foreign airlines are moving slowly toward these onboard video systems, although they are an electricity drain and are expensive.

Swissair paid $70 million to $80 million for its entertainment package, designed by Interactive Flight Technologies Inc. of Phoenix, a troubled company that is leaving the inflight business after suffering financial difficulties and a recent boardroom coup.

Officials said none of these systems was installed on U.S. airliners, largely because they produce too much heat for the U.S. industry, cost too much and because Congress has outlawed gambling on U.S. air routes.

The Canadian safety board statement said examination of debris "has revealed that some of the wiring and structure, located in the ceiling in the vicinity of the cockpit, shows signs of significant heat damage." The official statement did not mention fire or electrical arcing, which was mentioned by several other sources.

The burned wiring was found among debris dredged from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean just off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. The MD-11 slammed into the ocean about 16 minutes after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and donned oxygen masks.

Wiring from the entertainment system is easily identified, running through the roof in four strings, or "twists," of three wires each. These strings are bunched with numerous other wires into a wire saddle stretching over the front cabin doors. The damage to this area, especially the entertainment system wires, was significant, sources said.

Investigators still do not know why the plane crashed. But sources said a clear heat and fire damage pattern is emerging, with no fire or heat damage noted in most parts of the aircraft so far. The damage area begins in the instrument panel above the pilots' heads, stretching back to the roof area over the front doors of the passenger cabin where the in-flight entertainment system is located. Pieces of plastic and other easily melted material located in the wall areas below the ceiling showno signs of heat.

Debris from the high-voltage electronics bay below the pilots, one of the first areas of concern, has shown no fire or electrical damage so far. There also is no evidence so far of a fire inside the passenger cabin, and several sources said it was doubtful that passengers were subjected to fire or even to appreciable amounts of smoke.

After looking at other versions of the entertainment system made by Interactive Flight Technologies, investigators became concerned about the amount of heat produced by its design. In effect, the system places powerful personal computers at each seat, and draws an unusually high amount of power. Some systems need supplemental cooling power.

Investigators also were concerned to learn that the system was attached to an electrical "bus" that feeds electricity to key aircraft systems, rather than to a bus designed for "nonessential" systems such as cabin lighting.

The "nonessential" bus is the first to be shut down by pilots during a checklist to search for the source of smoke in the cockpit. Investigators do not yet know whether the Swissair crew cut power to any electrical bus, but they point out that many of the wires for nonessential systems run through the roof of the aircraft and are bundled with the flight entertainment wires. Therefore, power still would be flowing through an area of the aircraft that otherwise is devoid of electrical power as part of the trouble-shooting effort.

Sources said investigators do not yet know whether the pilots were told of this fact, but it is not mentioned in Swissair flight manuals.

The sources said investigators also are concerned that high-voltage and low-voltage wires are bundled together in the overhead area.

Airline manufacturers, such as Boeing, do not make these systems. On older aircraft, they are an "after-market" item made by various companies and installed by others. Under FAA rules, the systems must be approved by the FAA or by a private FAA-approved facility called a "designated alteration station," which must be a domestic U.S. repair station with certain engineering qualifications.

If the designated alteration station approves new systems, the paperwork -- called a "supplemental type certificate" -- must be forwarded to the FAA for inspection. The airline's country of origin also must approve the system, in this case the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation.

In the Swissair case, the certificate was issued by Santa Barbara Aerospace of Santa Barbara, Calif., to Interactive Flight Technologies.

Hans Klaus, a Swissair spokesman, said the IFT system was installed at the airline's Zurich maintenance base by another California company, Hollingead, with representatives of Swissair and the Phoenix company assisting and inspecting the installation.

Interactive Flight Technologies was founded in early 1994, and in July of 1996 landed the Swissair contract to install the system in 21 jets. But the company's prospects quickly faded as other airlines expected to order the system, such as Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd., decided not to use it.

The company -- whose board members once included former secretary of state Alexander M. Haig Jr. -- all but stopped selling the systems this year, and in July said it would move into the retail dry-cleaning business. Last month, a group called Ocean Castle Partners wrested control of the company in a proxy contest and ousted the old board.

Moshe Porat, one of the new board members, said he had been assured by the company and its lawyers that the Swissair incident didn't pose any problem for the company. He said he joined at the request of new board chairman Irwin L. Gross, who Porat said wanted to "enhance shareholder value" in the company.

Porat said the board is in the process of designing a new corporate strategy across "a whole spectrum of businesses, including financial."

The company's stock, which was $16 a share in 1996, has plunged in value. Yesterday it fell 12 1/2 cents, or 14 percent, to close at 75 cents.

Staff writer Steven Mufson contributed to this report.

Most interesting excerpts from that article:

Wiring from the entertainment system is easily identified, running through the roof in four strings, or "twists," of three wires each. These strings are bunched with numerous other wires into a wire saddle stretching over the front cabin doors. The damage to this area, especially the entertainment system wires, was significant, sources said.

Investigators still do not know why the plane crashed. But sources said a clear heat and fire damage pattern is emerging, with no fire or heat damage noted in most parts of the aircraft so far. The damage area begins in the instrument panel above the pilots' heads, stretching back to the roof area over the front doors of the passenger cabin where the in-flight entertainment system is located. Pieces of plastic and other easily melted material located in the wall areas below the ceiling showno signs of heat.

Debris from the high-voltage electronics bay below the pilots, one of the first areas of concern, has shown no fire or electrical damage so far. There also is no evidence so far of a fire inside the passenger cabin, and several sources said it was doubtful that passengers were subjected to fire or even to appreciable amounts of smoke.

After looking at other versions of the entertainment system made by Interactive Flight Technologies, investigators became concerned about the amount of heat produced by its design. In effect, the system places powerful personal computers at each seat, and draws an unusually high amount of power. Some systems need supplemental cooling power.

Investigators also were concerned to learn that the system was attached to an electrical "bus" that feeds electricity to key aircraft systems, rather than to a bus designed for "nonessential" systems such as cabin lighting.

The "nonessential" bus is the first to be shut down by pilots during a checklist to search for the source of smoke in the cockpit. Investigators do not yet know whether the Swissair crew cut power to any electrical bus, but they point out that many of the wires for nonessential systems run through the roof of the aircraft and are bundled with the flight entertainment wires. Therefore, power still would be flowing through an area of the aircraft that otherwise is devoid of electrical power as part of the trouble-shooting effort.

Sources said investigators do not yet know whether the pilots were told of this fact, but it is not mentioned in Swissair flight manuals.

The sources said investigators also are concerned that high-voltage and low-voltage wires are bundled together in the overhead area.