World - AP Canada

Swissair Crash Probe Completed
Thu Aug 29, 9:57 PM ET
By TOM COHEN, Associated Press Writer

TORONTO (AP) - Canadian investigators have sent out a draft report on the 1998 Swissair crash off Nova Scotia, completing their probe almost four years after the accident that killed all 229 people on board.



Transportation Safety Board spokesman John Cottreau said Thursday the confidential report was distributed to all involved parties this month for comment.

The final report was expected to be made public early next year, said Cottreau, who declined to discuss any details of the draft report.

"The data collection and investigation has concluded," he said. "Now we're into the confidential draft report phase."

Jean Overney, head of the Swiss investigation office, confirmed the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation received a copy of the draft report. Overney said no official comment would come until the final report gets published.

Swissair Flight 111 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean en route from New York to Geneva on Sept. 2, 1998. Pilots reported smoke in the cockpit 53 minutes into the trip, and the electrical systems began failing 15 minutes later.

Cottreau called the investigation the largest ever conducted by Canada's transportation safety board. Investigators used 2 million pieces of recovered wreckage, some as small as a dollar coin, to partially reconstruct the MD-11 jetliner.

Asked why it took almost four years to conclude the investigation, Cottreau said the board takes however much time is required to complete its work.

Swissair went out of business in October 2001, shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States that crippled the air travel industry worldwide.

The investigation has determined a fire in the ceiling at the front of the plane caused the crash. Investigators focused their probe on charred wiring, but have yet to say what caused the fire.

Two years ago, the Canadian safety board recommended that airlines do a better job of training and equipping crews to detect and fight fires on planes.

An earlier recommendation by investigators noted safety problems with the plane's insulation blankets, which have been suspected of spreading fire. The FAA ( news - web sites) in the United States responded by requiring removal of the insulation blankets from all U.S.-registered MD-11 aircraft.

In March, a U.S. federal judge dismissed claims for punitive damages for families of victims of the Swissair crash.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020830/ap_on_re_ca/canada_swissair_crash_2

My question and other people that I've heard from wonder is if the final report will look the same following the period when those responsible/involved get their chance at submitting comments.

Barbara... A sure way to have the final and preliminary be simular is for someone to "leak" the draft. If the draft does not get leaked, which I will be supprised if it doesn't, then I would hope that the two would be simular. But, don't be supprised with the findings. Airplanes and their systems when failure occurs are quite often not as they seem.

Hi Cecil. So you think we will be surprised with the outcome of the investigation? It seems to me that at least here in the US it is usually predicatable what the NTSB is going to cite as the cause of a crash. At least that has been my perception since I've been paying attention for obvious reasons. It *seems* as though there is more openness here as the investigations progress. I don't remember ever being very shocked. You could be right in this case though because IMHO I think this investigation has been cloaked somewhat in mystery. Now they have actually given us plenty of information regarding contributing factors, ie mylar insulation, kapton wiring, crew behavior & lengthy checklists etc., but have said all along that they have no ignition source. They've never actually told us that they did find it. I guess I will be surprised if they name one at all.

Barbara

Cecil, I meant to add that I agree with you that I think there will probably be leaks.

Barbara