FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0006.PDF
4 FLIGHT International, 3 January 1981 Air transp Did missile cause Itavia crash? THE mystery surrounding the crash of an Itavia DC-9 on June 27 (Flight, July 5, page 2) has deepened follow ing submission of the accident report to the Italian Transport Ministry and statements from Itavia's president Aldo Davanzali, writes our Rome correspondent. The aircraft was on a Bologna-Palermo flight and was lost in the Tyrrhenian Sea, some 90 miles north of Palermo. All 81 passengers and crew perished and no distress calls were received by Italian ATC. The flight data recorder has not been recovered. A ministerial committee of inquiry has presented its findings on the accident to the transport ministry, al though these have not been made public, and Davanzali has stated publicly that he believes the evidence supports the theory that the DO9-10 was' destroyed by a missile. Film of the ATC radar trace, which has been analysed in the USA, shows no sign of other aircraft or fast-moving ob jects near to the stricken aircraft, according to the magistrate leading the inquiry. Flight understands the only wreckage that was recovered from the crashed aircraft were the fuselage taiicone and a 5cm X 2cm metal fragment embedded in the leg of a female victim. Analysis of the fragment in the USA. which has been identified as coming from the main undercarriage door, has given rise to the theory that a missile, or other projectile, was involved in the crash because of the way the fragment is deformed. Chemical analysis has re vealed traces of sulphur, phosphor ous, potassium, chlorine and calcium. The last three elements are consis tent with human tissue levels, but the sulphur and potassium are present in unusual quantity. Three possible explanations are proffered for the evidence: an onboard bomb, collision with a meteorite or a missile strike. The most plausible explana tion is an onboard bomb. The inquiry findings show that bodies recovered after the crash show no indications of explosion injuries, probably ruling out a bomb in the cabin. But this still leaves open the possibility of an ex plosion in a baggage hold or even a wheel well. The meteorite theory is not being taken very seriously. The missile theory is linked, in the Italian press, with the crash of a Libyan MiG-23 Flogger in Calabria, southern Italy. The wreckage was discovered on July 18, but the exact crash date has not been revealed. The pilot's body was returned to Libya and, apparently, no autopsy was performed to establish the time of death. The Italian authorities seem anxious to play down any pos sible Libyan connection, as Italy de pends greatly for its oil supplies on the North African country- Both Nato and the Italian Air Force state that none of their air craft were in the area at the time the DCr9 disappeared and that there was no practice, or accidental, mis sile firing. The area where the crash occurred is at the junction of two airways and is frequently used by military aircraft. More confusion has been shown by Davanzali's contention that film of the ATC radar does show evidence of another aircraft in the area, contrary to the inquiry's reported findings. Davanzali has been indicted on a charge of disturbing public order. Aeroformation increases simulator capacity AEROFORMATION, Airbus Industrie's training wing, has just taken delivery of a new Airbus A300 simulator built by Thomson-CSF, reports David Learmount from Toulouse. The new simulator is a welcome arrival; with the A300/A310 range winning more firsMime customers, Aeroformation was becoming hard- pressed to meet training demand with its original A300 simulator, delivered by Thomson-CSF eight years ago, and currently working a 21hr day. Shorts has tested this four-bladed Dowty- Rotol propeller on a 330 for use on the forth coming 360 36-seat commuter airliner The new machine is a six degrees of freedom flight simulator with a full six-window McDonnell Douglas Vital IV computer-generated image visual system. It can simulate four types of A300—the B2 or B4 fitted with either General Electric or Pratt & Whitney engines. Flight has "flown" the machine; with this new generation simulator it is indeed easy to forget that you are not really flying. And if the aeroplane feels like this simulator, then all the praises heaped upon the A300 by its pilots are true; she handles gently, predictably and stably, and has power to spare with one engine out. Aeroformation will take delivery of a Thomson-CSF A300/A310 simulator in mid-1982. This will be the Standard electronic FFCC (forward facing crew cockpit) version, as agreed by Euro pean airline groups, Atlas and KSSU. Air France will buy its own A310 SFCC simulator, having recently de cided to order its A310 with a tradi tional engineer's panel (see Flight, December 20, page 2240). If, as antici pated, Saudia's A300-600s are to have the Standard Airbus cockpit, then Saudia crews will be trained in the same FFCC simulator, but with the software adjusted to -600 specifica tions. Aeroformation president Capt Jean Pinet tells Flight that his organisa tion has provisional plans laid to deal with training demands if Airbus goes ahead with the SA and TA projects. People... • Rhys Elton has been elected chair man of the board of the Air Transport Association of Canada. D Stephen Matthews is appointed executive deputy chairman of the Intasun/Air Europe group of com panies. • Bob Hutchinson has been appointed customer services manager of Britannia Airways. He was formerly People... with the Royal Air Force, where he reached the rank of Wing Com mander. He succeeds David Cox, who has been promoted. • American Airlines announces the promotion of Robert Baker to vice- president passenger sales and advertising. He replaces Randall Malin, who leaves to join US Air.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
