Swissair Flight 111

The accident HB- IWF in July 1998 in Zurich

On 2 September 1998 crashed Flight 111 Swissair, a McDonnell Douglas MD -11 with the registration HB- IWF, on the way from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Geneva before Peggy's Cove, Canada, into the Atlantic after it had come to a cable fire in the on-board electronics. In this severe misfortune of Swissair and an MD -11 were all 215 passengers and 14 crew members died.

It was the worst aviation accident on Canadian territory since the crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285 on 12 December 1985; then all 256 people on board died.

History of the flight

All times are UTC after

00:18 ( 20:18 local time): Swissair Flight SR 111 on track in the John F. Kennedy Airport ( JFK) in New York, USA, to Geneva. Besides the two pilots are 215 passengers and 12 flight attendants on board.

0:58: SR 111 reached without incident cruising altitude of 33,000 feet.

01:10:38: The pilots notice an unusual smell in the cockpit and set out to search for the cause. After a short conversation, she lead him on the air conditioning back ( " Air conditioning, is it? " " Yes").

01:13:14: smoke in the cockpit.

01:13:33: The pilots discuss possible alternate airports.

01:13:53: Comments by the captain: "This does not look good from up here " ( " That's not doing well at all up there. ").

01:14:15: SR 111 sends Pan - pan ( a pager with high priority) to the competent aviation control center in Moncton, Canada. The MD -11 is located at the time 66 nautical miles southwest of Halifax International Airport Halifax, Canada. The pilot reported smoke in the cockpit and asks for the release to land at the nearest possible airport. He proposes Boston, Massachusetts, before, which is 300 nautical miles at this time. SR 111 obtained from Moncton release to Boston and gets a flight altitude of 31,000 feet assigned.

01:15:06: Air traffic control suggests the pilots to fly to Halifax. Halifax is located 56 nautical miles north-east. The Department accepts and receives the share. Both pilots put on their oxygen masks.

01:16:34: Air traffic control is the release for the descent to 10,000 feet and asked about the number of passengers and the remaining fuel on board to pass the data to Halifax.

01:17:19: The MD -11 drops with 4000 feet per minute and fully extended air brakes.

01:18:17: SR 111 is asked to contact the ground control in Moncton. SR 111 immediately change the radio frequency and logs on. The altitude is now 25,400 feet, heading 050 toward Halifax. The ground control in Moncton given clearance to descend to 3000 feet. The Department is asking for 8,000 feet, to the cabin crew is ready for landing. This is confirmed.

01:19:28: Air traffic control gives the command to SR 111 to turn on track 030 for an approach to runway 06. SR 111 is now 30 nautical miles of the runway in Halifax. The aircraft is descending to 21,000 feet, and the crew announced that the remaining 30 miles are not sufficient for the descent. The air traffic control therefore it tells you to turn to course 360 ​​to lose in a loop height can.

01:20:48: The pilots decide to drain fuel before landing.

01:21:20: Air traffic control asks for a second time according to number of passengers and the amount of fuel on board. The Department reports that 230 tons of fuel on board are (which is not correct, because 230 tons is the total weight of the aircraft ).

01:22:01: SR 111 turns to the south-southwest on course 200 to drain fuel over the sea. The aircraft is now 25 nautical miles from Halifax.

01:22:01: The co-pilot reduced the rate of descent and retracts the air brakes. The plane comes 10150-10300 feet in level flight.

01:23:30: The air traffic controller in Moncton called 180 as a new heading and informed the crew that the coast is still 15 miles away. The airport is located at this time in 34 nautical miles.

01:24:01: The co-pilot asked the air traffic controllers to command the fuel draining.

01:24:09: The autopilot on board the MD-11 turns off. The beep sounds in the cockpit.

01:24:25: The co-pilot informed Moncton, he now flies manually, and asks for a window height 9000-11000 feet. The air traffic controller allowed SR 111 an altitude 5000-12000 feet.

01:24:42: Both pilots simultaneously filing an emergency ( "Emergency Call", the highest priority, that is immediate danger to life and limb ). Air traffic control confirmed the receipt.

01:24:46: The cabin crew of MD -11 informed the captain about a power failure in the passenger compartment.

01:24:53: SR 111 announced that they begin with the fuel draining and then land without delay is ( "we have to land immediate ...").

01:24:54: The flight data recorder logs the failure of the yaw damper.

01:25:02: The crew declared an emergency again, confirmed the air traffic control.

01:25:12: The recording from the flight data recorder breaks.

01:25:16: Air traffic control gives permission to jettison fuel. SR 111 is not responding.

01:25:40: The air traffic control repeatedly permission to draining fuel. No answer.

01:25:46: The ground control in Moncton receives unintelligible snippets of conversation (probably in Swiss German ), which probably originate from SR 111.

01:30: In the area of ​​St. Margaret 's Bay, Nova Scotia, a large aircraft is observed at low altitude. The engines can be clearly heard.

01:31:18: The MD -11 crashes into the sea. Eyewitnesses reported a loud bang. Seismograph draw at this time to a concussion.

About 02:30: The first rescuers arrive, they find only corpses and debris from SR 111

Facts

The pilots

The pilot in command ( captain ) Urs Zimmermann was 49 years old and had at the time of the crash 10,800 flight hours, including 900 on the MD - 11th He was since 1971 with Swissair, since 1983 as a pilot in command. In 1994 he was an instructor for Airbus and later for MD-11 pilots. During his tenure there had never been any incidents. The first officer ( co-pilot ) Stephan Löw was 36 years old and had spent from his 4800 flight hours 230 on this type. He was at Swissair in 1991. In May of that year he had received the flight type rating for the MD -11. Also during his tenure, there were no incidents.

Both pilots were at the time of the accident in good health. Before the flight, they had 27 hours rest period.

The air traffic controllers

Responsible for the upper airspace air traffic controller in Moncton (Canada) was 32 years old and had nine years of professional experience. He was at the time of the radio traffic with SR 111 for 5 hours in service, before that he had 72 hours off. In order 01:18:11 UTC clock, he handed the flight to the ground control, which should accompany the approach to Halifax. The local air traffic controller was 51 years old and worked in Moncton for 26 years. At the time of the event, he was for 8 hours in service, before that he had 16 hours free time.

Both pilots had all the necessary qualifications. Air traffic was at the time of the crash low.

The aircraft

The crashed plane was a passenger plane in the McDonnell Douglas Corporation MD- 11th It was equipped with three engines of type Pratt & Whitney 4462 and bore the serial number 48448th

The machine was delivered new on 5 August 1991 at Swissair and received the aircraft identification HB -IWF. She performed until misfortune total 36 041 flight hours. Equipped she was with 241 seats, including 12 in First, 49 in Business and 180 in Economy Class.

Accident investigation

The investigation of the accident lasted over four years and cost $ 39 million. At times, more than 4,000 people were involved in the rescue. Were involved in addition to the lead Canadian Transportation Security Administration TSB ( Transportation Safety Board of Canada ) representatives of American and Swiss air traffic control and Swissair and the companies Boeing ( as legal successor to McDonnell Douglas ) and the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, as well as pilot associations and insurance companies.

The MD -11 was torn apart on impact with the water surface in several thousand parts. Most sank to the seabed in about 55 feet of water at 44 ° 24 ' 33 "N, 63 ° 58' 25 " W44.409148 - 63.9736110Koordinaten: 44 ° 24 ' 33 "N, 63 ° 58' 25 " W. The submarine debris field was 125 meters long and 95 meters wide. 126.5 tons of debris have been recovered, which corresponds to 98% of the mass of the airplane. The salvage of the wreckage took 15 months. In December 1999, the last small parts were taken from the seabed with the help of a Dutch dredger.

On 27 March 2003 in Halifax put the TSB before the final accident report. This stated that probably a short circuit - triggered by the broken insulation of a copper cable behind the upper front fairing - had ignited the adjacent thermal acoustic insulation. The cable in question supplied the on-board entertainment system IFEN ( In-flight Entertainment Network) with electricity. About the IFEN guests first class and business class could look in their places videos or playing computer games.

The investigation report stated that the MPET - coating of the insulating material installed in the aircraft and other parts were not fireproof enough. Therefore, the fire could spread unnoticed at first. Then he destroyed the supply lines important cockpit instruments, so that the pilots lost their way in the darkness above the sea. 6 minutes before the crash charred the data line to the flight data recorder in the rear, which the reconstruction of the accident even more difficult.

As a result of the accident, the TSB spoke of 23 safety recommendations. It recommended new standards for material testing on fire resistance, as well as the use of fire alarms in aircraft cockpits and the installation of video cameras in cavities. In addition, flight staff should be better trained for firefighters.

On 25 December 2003, the Federal Aviation Authority has ordered in Braunschweig as a consequence of the disaster, the replacement of all MPET - coated insulation for aircraft in Germany.

Filming

The catastrophe of Swissair Flight 111 was in the Canadian television series Mayday - Alarm shown in the cockpit with the English title Fire on board and the German title Swissair Flight 111. In re-enactments, animation and interviews with survivors and investigators reported on the preparations, the process and the backgrounds of the flight. In another cinematic reappraisal of the incident in the American television series seconds was represented fire in the cockpit before the accident in the sequence. Another documentary film is FIRE ON BOARD - The tragedy of Swissair Flight 111 of the Swiss radio and television.

Controversy

In a broadcast by the Canadian television station CBC 16 September 2011 Documentary of the TSB investigation authority is alleged to have neglected the hypothesis of an assassination or even prevented any investigation in this direction. So to have been found in the wreck of ten times the amount of magnesium, as was installed. Magnesium is considered to be a typical accelerant. Against this representation is used, it is based on findings of a single person of the then chief investigator. According to the report were in the plane diamonds with a total value of approximately half a billion Canadian dollars, of which not a single one showed up at the recovery operations. This was considered as an indication of insurance fraud. According to the report, the CBC, the thesis of a stop was additionally supported by a senior scientist who had established the magnesium in the wreckage. Also, this testified that his findings and evidence had been ignored on unprofessional manner.