23 DEC 2008 _______________________________________ *Landing gear, wheels, brakes possible cause of crash *NTSB confident recorders will yield airplane clues *Data recorders found after Denver plane accident *NTSB: NWA Flight 74 Crew Thought Gear Was Down *Plane crashes in Mexico *Coughlin Joins Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Board *Boeing's 787 maintenance plan approved by FAA *FAA Targets Flaps On Bombardier Challenger Jets *NTSB: Air Wisconsin Philadelphia gear-up landing followed maintenance **************************************** Landing gear, wheels, brakes possible cause of crash DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- A problem with the landing gear, tire or brakes may have caused a Continental Airlines jet to veer off a runway into a 40-foot-deep ravine during its takeoff at Denver International Airport, a source told CNN Monday. A source tells CNN that it is possible a wheel locked up while the Continental jet took off from Denver. 1 of 3 More than three dozen people were injured in Saturday's accident, most from bruises and broken bones as frightened passengers tried to flee a fire on board. There were no fatalities. The source said early indications show a problem with the landing gear, tires or brakes could have caused a wheel to lock up. The National Transportation Safety Board did an "initial readout" of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder recovered from the wreckage Sunday, a government aviation official said. Robert Sumwalt, a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team, said Monday at a news conference that both recorders contained "good data" and that the voice recorder was audible. "Tonight, we should have some overall characterization of what was said in that cockpit," he told reporters. He would not confirm that a problem with the landing gear, tire or brakes may have caused the accident, saying the investigation was still in its early stages. Sumwalt also said he could not identify the captain and first officer, nor say whether either was hospitalized or who was actually flying the plane. Neither has been interviewed yet, though federal investigators are arranging for an interview with the first officer. A knowledgeable source told CNN the captain was hospitalized in serious condition. On Monday investigators were to begin interviewing crew members, pilots and passengers to help determine what caused the accident. From the air, a crack is visible wrapping around the middle part of the plane. "The captain has not been interviewed at this time," Sumwalt said. "We want to do it as soon as we can but want to be respectful of the captain's mental condition. ... We want to make sure he or she is mentally ready." When pressed about when that interview would take place, he said, "Everybody wants to get the NTSB interview over with as soon as possible. ... The pilots want to get it over with because it's something you get nervous about." Preliminary findings may come within a week, Sumwalt said, but a full investigation could take a year. Gabriel Trejos was about to board Continental Flight 1404, bound for Houston, with his wife and 1-year-old when gate officials announced the plane was experiencing "engine problems," Trejos told CNN affiliate KUSA. But, "shortly after that, they said everything is fine. There's going to be an on-time flight," Trejos said. Continental spokeswoman Julie King, however, said she was unaware of any announcement of engine problems on the flight. The Boeing 737 taxied down the runway at Denver International Airport and accelerated. It was dark, 6:18 p.m., and the Trejos' baby, leaning against the window, giggled at the lights on the tarmac. "All of a sudden, it was too much light," said Maria Trejos, who is four months pregnant. "We felt the plane veer to the left. My husband was holding my son and we felt some bumpiness and I thought it was just turbulence," she said. "I looked to the side and all of a sudden there was this giant fireball behind my husband's head. I have this image of him just grabbing my son's head and just pulling him toward himself and all of a sudden we felt this heat." She felt a bump, she said. "And it felt like we were airborne for a couple of seconds." Watch Maria and Gabriel Trejos describe the crash > The plane skidded off the runway, its wheels disintegrating. It slammed into a ravine, its fuel tanks leaking, and caught fire. Luggage fell out of overhead bins that had begun to melt. Passengers panicked and shoved and stepped over each other. One yelled, "The plane is going to explode!" said Gabriel Trejos, who was clutching his child and feared that the buckling seats would "squash" them both. The couple fought their way into a line of people scrambling to get out of the back of the plane. Some were trying to get their luggage first. "I just wanted to get out of there," Gabriel Trejos said. He noticed that the escape chute in the middle of the plane had fewer people huddled near it. The Trejos dashed for that and escaped. All 115 people on board survived the crash. Forty people were injured, two critically, authorities said. Bone fractures and bruises were the most common complaint, and there appeared to be no burn victims, fire officials said. Of the dozens taken to hospitals, five people remained hospitalized late Sunday, Sumwalt said. In the airport after the ordeal, passengers used terms like "rag doll" to describe how they felt during the nightmare. "It was incredibly violent," Jeb Tilly told CNN affiliate KPRC. "It was a big left-hand turn and we sort of started bouncing a lot as if we were in a roller coaster, you know, you're kind of getting tossed around in your seat. "And then there was a lot of silence all of a sudden. We took a big drop and when we hit the ground, that's when the thing really got kind of screwy," Tilly continued. "I think that's when the plane cracked in half at that point and all the overhead baggage compartments broke open and fell down." At a news conference late Saturday, Patrick Hynes, chief of the airport division of the Denver Fire Department, said crews responding to the scene "had a difficult time narrowing down exactly where the airplane ended up," but found it north of a firehouse. When they arrived, firefighters found the plane on fire in a ravine about 200 yards from the runway, with its wheels sheared off and fuel tanks leaking, Hynes said. "They [firefighters] described a surreal scene when they pulled up, heavy fire on the right side of the aircraft, all chutes deployed from both sides of the aircraft, people evacuating and walking up the hillside towards them," he said. Hynes said the entire right side of the jet was in flames and "a heck of a firefight" followed. "There was significant extension of fire into the cabin portion," he said. "There's significant fire damage inside with the luggage compartment described as melting and dropping down into the seats." Hynes said fuel from the aircraft leaked for several hours after the accident. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/22/colorado.plane.investigation/index.html ************ NTSB confident recorders will yield airplane clues National Transportation Safety Board investigators say they believe they have good data on the cockpit voice and data recorders from the Continental jet that slid off the runway in Denver on Saturday, but have yet to focus their probe on any specific area of the plane. The cockpit recorders have been flown to Washington, D.C. "By tonight, we should have some overall characterization what was said in the cockpit," said Robert Sumwalt, an NTSB board member and spokesman for the plane investigation. He addressed reporters during a news briefing in Denver. He insisted investigators were not focusing on a single area, such as the brakes or landing gear, which was sheared off during the crash. "We are focusing on everything at this point," he said. "We haven't zoned in on anything right now." The pilot of Flight 1404 hasn't been interviewed because he is among the injured and was taken for medical treatment, said Continental spokeswoman Julie King, who declined to identify the pilot. No one was killed when the plane, headed to Houston, slid into the ditch and caught fire, but 38 people were injured. Five passengers remained at Denver-area hospitals on Monday; one was listed in serious condition, another in fair condition. The rest were listed in good condition. Investigators have spent most of the day gathering and documenting physical evidence from the accident site. Sumwalt said it was vital to the investigation that all physical evidence - such as runway debris, skid marks, landing gear and cockpit switches - be recorded before the plane is moved from the airport. "Our goal is to be very methodical," Sumwalt said. "To do it right, once the airplane is moved, we can't go back and say how was this switch set?" He said investigators should have some general information by Monday night on the physical characteristics of the accident site. A press briefing is scheduled for 10 p.m. Houston time. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6177816.html ************* Data recorders found after Denver plane accident DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Investigators will interview crew members and review data and voice recorders to help determine what caused a passenger plane to veer off a Denver International Airport runway and catch fire, an official said Sunday. Injured passengers are taken to a hospital after Saturday's accident at Denver International Airport. 1 of 3 All 115 people aboard the Continental Airlines jet escaped Saturday evening, and of the dozens who were taken to hospitals, five were still hospitalized Sunday afternoon, said Robert Sumwalt, a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team. No deaths were reported. Sumwalt said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and appeared to be in good condition, though they were covered in soot from the fire. Both recorders were sent to Washington to be reviewed as early as Sunday night. "We are here for one reason and one reason only, to find out what happened so we can keep it from happening again," Sumwalt said. The flight was bound for Houston, Texas, and was taking off about 6:18 p.m. Saturday when it skidded into a ravine and caught fire. Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals after the accident, airport officials said Sunday. Officials said one of the five people still hospitalized was in serious condition; no one was reported to be in critical condition. Bone fractures and bruises were the most common complaint, and there appeared to be no burn victims, fire officials said. Investigators will interview crew members, review crew training and evaluate several factors, including the weather at the time of the crash and structure of the plane, Sumwalt said. While officials were on the scene Sunday, evidence collection, documentation and measurements will start Monday. "We are just now beginning our investigation," Sumwalt said, adding that short, cold days will be a challenge for the investigators. At a news conference late Saturday, Patrick Hynes, chief of the airport division of the Denver Fire Department, said crews responding to the scene "had a difficult time narrowing down exactly where the airplane ended up," but found it north of a firehouse. When they arrived, firefighters found the Boeing 737 on fire in a ravine about 200 yards from the runway, with its wheels sheared off and fuel tanks leaking, Hynes said. "They [firefighters] described a surreal scene when they pulled up, heavy fire on the right side of the aircraft, all chutes deployed from both sides of the aircraft, people evacuating and walking up the hillside towards them," he said. Hynes said the entire right side of the jet was in flames and "a heck of a firefight" followed. Watch airport official describe scene of accident > "There was significant extension of fire into the cabin portion," he said. "There's significant fire damage inside with the luggage compartment described as melting and dropping down into the seats." Hynes said fuel from the aircraft leaked for several hours after the accident. Continental issued a statement saying it was collecting information about the accident. The 115 people on board included five crew members. The airport originally said 112 people were on board, but raised that to 115 on Sunday, saying officials had not counted some children who were not ticketed. Planes resumed takeoffs and landings at the airport after the incident, although Day said a section of the airport will remain closed into Sunday. She suggested passengers call ahead for Sunday departure times, because many flights may be delayed. Passenger Gabriel Trejos described a scene of panic as the plane skidded off the runway while trying to take off. "Some people were trying to get luggage from the top, [and] the engine was on fire, so I was worried about getting out of there," Trejos said Sunday. "And then we had another guy yelling, 'Oh, the plane's going to blow up! The plane's going to explode!' " http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/21/colorado.plane.investigation/index.html *************** NTSB: NWA Flight 74 Crew Thought Gear Was Down Faulty Nose Gear Door Actuator Examined The National Transportation Safety Board has released an updated factual report on the Northwest Airlines Flight 74 landing accident at Guam International Airport (GUM) on August 19, 2005. The NWA Boeing 747-200 experienced trouble extending the landing gear on approach to GUM, indicated by a red light on the landing gear indicator and a warning horn. After aborting the initial approach and consulting a cockpit operations manual, the flight crew concluded the landing gear was "down and locked." Soon after touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the plane skidded to a stop on the runway. The 340 persons aboard evacuated the stricken jet via inflatable slides, with only two minor injuries reported. The aircraft, damaged beyond all repair, was eventually scrapped, the Guam Pacific Daily News said. Subsequent examination and testing of the aircraft's nose gear components revealed several problems with the landing gear door actuator: one of two "lock keys" was found to be installed backward; strands of metallic material were found in different areas of the actuator; the "manual override crank gland was found lightly torqued with safety wire installed"; the "lock ram and lock ring" were damaged; and the piston rod seal was "installed with non-standard backup rings," according to the report. Unknown to the flight crew of Flight 74, the same aircraft had experienced similar problems just 10 days prior, but the captain of that flight failed to make note of it in the plane's maintenance log. The NTSB's final report on the accident and determination of probable cause has not yet been released. FMI: www.nwa.com, www.ntsb.org aero-news.net ************** Plane crashes in Mexico A SMALL plane carrying government officials and television reporters crashed in Mexico. All five people on board were in "serious" condition in hospital yesterday. The Cessna Centurion crashed just before reaching the airport in Ramos Arispe. The plane was carrying Coahuila state water commission chief Rafael Reyes, his assistant and two TV Azteca reporters. The cause of the crash is under investigation. It is at least the fourth plane to crash this year with government officials on board. In November, the interior minister and 15 other people died when the jet they were on ploughed into a Mexico City neighbourhood. http://news.scotsman.com/world/Plane-crashes-in-Mexico.4812252.jp *************** Coughlin Joins Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Board Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (NASDAQ: PNCL) has announced that Susan MacGregor Coughlin has joined the Board of Directors. Coughlin is a former Vice Chairman and member of the National Transportation Safety Board and Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. She is founder and president of Air Safety Management Associates, a consulting firm serving transportation clients since 1997. "Pinnacle has an intensive safety program and adding someone of Susan Coughlin's stature, experience and integrity to our board helps position us to continue the industry-leading growth and performance Pinnacle is experiencing," said Philip H. Trenary, President and Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Coughlin has held executive positions in the transportation industry since 1981, most recently as President and CEO of the Aviation Safety Alliance. Prior to joining ASA, she served as President and COO of the American Transportation Research Institute and as Director and COO of the Air Transport Association Foundation. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0462382.htm *************** Boeing's 787 maintenance plan approved by FAA Boeing (BA) has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for its maintenance plan for the new 787 Dreamliner, which should allow airlines to save money because it requires fewer maintenance tasks and allows longer intervals between aircraft checks. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved Boeing's plan for maintenance of the new 787 Dreamliner, which should allow airlines to save money because it requires fewer maintenance tasks and allows longer intervals between aircraft checks. Boeing claims the 787 should be 30 percent less expensive to maintain than today's comparable size aircraft. The body of the new airplane is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic composite material that doesn't corrode. And it has all-electric integrated systems designed to allow easy swapping out of individual electronic boxes. Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber said airlines could choose to do many routine maintenance tasks individually during the normal downtime experienced on overnight stops and between flights. With current maintenance programs, an airline can perform many of those tasks only during a scheduled operation requiring the airplane to be out of service for an extended period. A 767 has to be taken into the mechanic's shop for five to 10 days every 18 months for a routine base maintenance check, and for three weeks every six years for a major structural check. Lefeber said that if an airline chooses to do its 787 maintenance in such set intervals, the Dreamliner will require the base maintenance check every three years and the major structural check only once every 12 years. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008549282_webboein g22.html ************* FAA Targets Flaps On Bombardier Challenger Jets The FAA Thursday invited comments on a proposal for a new airworthiness directive to correct flap failures on Bombardier Challenger CL-600-2B19 twin jet commuter aircraft, after the agency received a report that a previous AD was "not effective." According to the FAA, flap failures on the aircraft have been reported over several years with the flaps sticking in various positions. The failures have resulted in flight diversions, higher fuel consumption and longer landing-distance requirements for affected aircraft. The proposed AD would revise the airplane flight manual to incorporate operational procedures and corrective maintenance actions, including a pressure test of the flexible drive-shaft and low temperature torque test of the flap actuator. The FAA estimates the cost of the proposed AD to be $1,440 per some 680 aircraft working in the U.S. The requirements are expected to eventually encompass about 1,000 Bombardier CRJ models worldwide. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/199432-1.html ************* NTSB: Air Wisconsin Philadelphia gear-up landing followed maintenance A preliminary report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reveals that an Air Wisconsin CRJ200 that landed with its left main gear retracted at the Philadelphia International Airport the night of 14 December had undergone maintenance on the main gear system before the flight. Flight 3918, flying for US Airways, carried only its flight crew due to several hours of delays in Norfolk, Virginia, its origin airport and one of three Air Wisconsin maintenance bases. An Air Wisconsin spokeswoman had initially said the aircraft had indeed experienced a maintenance delay in Norfolk, but that it was "unrelated to the emergency landing" in Philadelphia. "The post-incident investigation of the aircraft revealed that the upper attach bolt for the left main landing gear uplock assembly, which is designed to be attached to both the uplock mechanism and the structure, was attached to the airplane structure only," the NTSB explains. Minor damage to the aircraft included "scuff marks" to the left wing tip and the outboard end of the left aileron. Investigators noted "more extensive damage" to the flaps on the left wing, which had been ground down from the flap trailing edge, through the upper and lower skins, to the ribs. Air Wisconsin could not immediately be reached for additional comments on the NTSB's preliminary findings. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************