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borgslayer
Rear Admiral
Joined: 27 Aug 2003
Posts: 2646
Location: Las Vegas
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 Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:13 pm Investigators find crack in plane's wing (19 Died) |
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| Quote: | MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The right wing that broke off a seaplane before it plunged off Miami's South Beach, killing 20 people, showed signs of a metal fatigue crack when examined, a top federal official said Wednesday morning.
The crack was found inside the main structure within the wing, known as the spar, said Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
"This crack appears to extend through a majority of the spar at the location of the separation," Rosenker said.
"We don't know why that fatigue appeared. That is what we are trying to determine."
Rosenker said the NTSB will examine the 58-year-old aircraft's maintenance and flight records closely to see if any repairs had been made to that part of the wing.
The Federal Aviation Administration mandates that aircraft carrying passengers undergo an annual airworthiness inspection.
The FAA and Chalk's Ocean Airways, owner of the seaplane, have been informed about the crack and will determine if the entire fleet of Grumman G-73 Turbine Mallards should be grounded, Rosenker said.
Meanwhile, the wing will be sent to the NTSB lab in Washington for further examination and analysis, he said.
The wing is considered a "wet wing," because of the fuel inside, Rosenker said. "When it separates, there's heat. There's sparks," he said.
Investigators were able to retrieve the right wing Tuesday, and the engine and propeller were still attached to it, Rosenker said. (Read more)
On Wednesday morning, a crane aboard a barge pulled the mangled fuselage from about 35 feet of water.
Salvage teams also will retrieve other pieces of debris during the day and will put them on a barge that will take the wreckage to a secure location for further investigation, Rosenker said.
Amateur video obtained by CNN showed the fuselage slam into the water Monday afternoon, followed by the wing falling through the sky on fire and leaving a trail of black smoke.
Onboard the plane were 18 passengers, including three toddlers, and two crew members. The plane was en route to the Bahamian island of Bimini when it crashed shortly after takeoff near Miami Beach. (Map)
Rosenker said 17 of the 20 people aboard have been identified.
Family members of the victims have begun arriving in Miami to claim their relatives' bodies and to meet with investigators.
One man, Leonard Stuart of Bimini, said he lost 11 relatives in the accident.
"I think I'm a little strong at this stage," he said. "I will probably break down later as we get nearer to the funeral time."
Among the crash victims were Sergio Danguillecourt -- a member of the board of directors of Bacardi Ltd. and a great-great grandson of the company's founder, Don Facundo Bacardi -- and his wife, Jacqueline Kriz Danguillecourt, the company said Tuesday.
Danguillecourt, 42, and his wife lived in Miami.
Investigators have begun interviewing Chalk's employees, and they also have started looking at the seaplane's maintenance and flight records, Rosenker said.
The cockpit voice recorder has yet to be recovered. The plane had no flight data recorder.
The Grumman G73, built in 1947, was retrofitted in the mid-1980s, Rosenker said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/21/miami.crash/index.html |
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Leo Wyatt
Sweetest Angel
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 19045
Location: Investigating A Crime Scene. What did Quark do this time?
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| Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:52 pm |
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I heard about it on the news while in clinic waiting on Charlie get through through with his radiation treatment. Sad.
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Brightstar82
Rear Admiral
Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Posts: 4394
Location: A Borg Cube....Where Else?
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| Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:29 pm |
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I heard about it thismorning. thats terrible. So so sad 
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