Swissair crash probe wants better firefighting procedures

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (Reuters) -- The Canadian Transportation Safety Board recommended Monday that in-flight aircraft firefighting procedures be improved, part of its ongoing investigation into the fiery 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 that killed 229 people.

The Canadian government agency, which expects to release in April or May its final report on the crash of the MD-11 airliner off Canada's Atlantic coast, issued five recommendations it said could help reduce risks identified in the Swissair crash. The jet, headed for Geneva from New York, crashed after pilots reported smoke in the cockpit and changed course to attempt an emergency landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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Investigators found evidence of heat damage consistent with a fire in the ceiling near the bulkhead separating the cockpit flight deck from the passenger cabin. Electrical wires from the area exhibit charring and burnt insulation.

The safety board said it wants industry standards to "reflect a philosophy that when odor/smoke from an unknown source appears in the aircraft, the most appropriate course of action is to prepare to land the aircraft expeditiously," the board said.

In the Swissair crash, pilots diverted away from Halifax airport to begin dumping fuel ahead of landing, a decision that cost precious minutes as fire apparently raged in the jet.

The board also recommended that the emergency checklist used by flight crews to assess odor and smoke be better designed to quickly eliminate the heat source before fire breaks out.

"Response time is critical in a fire situation," crash investigator Vic Gerden told reporters.

Board officials recommended that regulatory authorities and the aviation community review the adequacy of in-flight firefighting. It wants a review of the methodology for establishing designated fire zones in the pressurized portion of an aircraft.

It also wants a review of in-flight firefighting procedures, including training, equipment and accessibility to spaces such as aircraft attic areas.

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