Investigators Admit They May Never Know Precise Cause Of Swissair Tragedy

Investigators Admit They May Never Know Precise Cause Of Tragedy...

"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." After the most expensive investigation in its 30-year history, the NTSB is planning to wrap up its inquiry into the crash of TWA 800 by the end of the summer. The NTSB is certain that a fuel-air explosion in the center fuel tank brought down the Boeing 747 on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 aboard, but a final determination of the ignition source will have to await further research, and may never be determined. Bernard Loeb, the board's head of aviation safety, said investigators already have examined the possibility of a static electricity buildup, stray current from nearby fuel pumps, and electrical shorts in the tank's fuel gauge system. The final stage of the investigation is focusing on possible electromagnetic induction, which occurs when electricity from an active source or wire causes a trace of activity in a nearby inactive wire. Investigators have studied external sources such as radar-emitting military planes and ships, and have even looked at carry-on items such as laptop computers and other personal electronics. The NTSB is still hoping to have its final board meeting and report on TWA 800 by the end of the year.

...While FAA Continues Aging Wire Research "The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out."

Since wiring problems were identified as possible culprits in TWA 800 and the fiery crash of a Swissair MD-11 off the east coast of Canada last September that killed all 229 passengers and crew, it's no surprise that a federal advisory group last week approved destructive tests of electrical systems in older airliners to gather further data on the safety hazards of aging wire. The FAA's aging transport systems advisory committee voted unanimously to establish an "intrusive inspection" subcommittee to examine a large range of wire types and their typical uses in aircraft. The new group of about 10 inspectors will examine recently retired planes with over 20 years of service. Any suspicious wiring and other parts would be removed and sent to the FAA Tech center in Atlantic City or to Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico for further examination. Aging Systems Task Force (ASTF) Chairman David Marcontell said older planes stored for long periods in the desert would not be good enough. "We don't know what's been happening to aircraft sitting out in the boneyard for a long time," he said. The new inspection panel would supplement the ASTF's visual inspections of wiring in about 90 older airliners from 14 airlines, which started last year and is almost complete.
"We have not found a single thing that would constitute an immediate airworthiness concern," Marcontell, director of engineering at Airborne Express, told the advisory panel. The first detailed results from the tests will be presented in October.