European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Pinning Down the cause of aviation accidents by Donald j. Frederick National geographic t he China airline of b 74 7 jumbo a cruising along Al 11.000 eel suddenly prs sharply i me right Goime into a spin a nth Thena i a i dive. I finally pulls out at 7,000 Leel. Narrowly nver time disaster. Viewers in Washington watching the to screen Ollyn breathe a sigh of Relief even though they re watching Only an animated version of a near disaster that Happ Onod More than a year ago the to prot Lille i moments of China airlines Ili Ghl 006 were re real Era for More than Shock value Eten Ding video computer graphics and inform Avion from digital High recorders Olli Calsa he National transportation sately Board now have a new tool i hat May help them Delenne the cause o aviation accidents. In the Case of the China airlines night the Pilot was distracted by a dead engine and Inave Rielly rolled the air Rall in ils direction. He was totally confused and thai was shown very clearly by Tho computer says Dennis r. Grossi. A Ili Ghl Eta to recorder analyst with the safety Board. Created a an Independent government Agency in 1967. The Boaro is charged with promoting transportation safely and determining the Ujj Otoble cause of rail Highway Marine and pipeline accidents by far the Board s largest single activity is aviation says Public information officer Arthur Bradford Dunbar or. Only in aviation Are we required to determine Tho cause of every there was plenty to keep the Board Busy last year. It routinely investigates about 3.000 accidents annually most involving private pilots but 1985 was particularly grim for . Air Carrier operations. The loll o 526 fatalities was second Only to the 855 in 1977. The year lha to jumbo jes collided on a oggy runway in the Canary islands with a death toll of 581. News of a fatal crash or serious Accident involving an air Carriar in the United states brings one of the Agency s go learns to the scene. Sometimes As in the March 31 mexican crash that killed 166 persons the Board s experts Are invited to help investigate. Composed of As Many As nine specialists in various Fields the teams serve on a rotating basis and must be Ava la Leal a moment s notice. They Don t repack their suitcases however because there s no Way of knowing whether they might next encounter the Chilly winds of Alaska or the Balmy breezes of Florida. A Call to action brings varied reactions from go team members. I literally break Fyfo a cold sweat when i get the says Dunbar who like All his colleagues sometimes arrives at the Scena of a tragedy Berve the bodies have been cleared from the wreckage but professionalism soon takes Over. You re working 16 to 18 hours a Day and you Don t have time to be unhappy about what you re Dun bar explains. One of the most Impi land persons on the scene is Tho structures Export who charts the places where pieces of wreckage Are found and tries to determine the air Rolf s course and Angle of flight before and alter Impact. 1 we try to come up with a precise diagram of i he crash site containing All the elements Hal Light have a Ben Iny on the Accident says Monty l. Montgomery chief Al the Board s Engi veering services division Uto a liter Mea urling devices at major crash Sites May soon be common. They do the Job quicker and produce More accurate Montgomer y says. Other specialists concentrate on the aircraft s electrical and Hydraulic systems its engines. The history of the flight from Lak Colf to crash and Rescue efforts. They also look into Nir Frallic con Rul weather aircraft maintenance records and eyewitness National geographic photo Metalou gift Joe up prion does detective work an an instrument from a at Ivy i tight
