SWITZERLAND Crossair Crash Update

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News on Crossair LX498

The Accident Investigation Team for the Crossair LX498 Saab 340 crash two minutes after taking off from Zurich in January published yesterday a report on the investigation.

Link to a Swiss newspaper in French:

Edicom

Before the flight, the two pilots (one from Moldavia, a fragment of the former USSR, and the other from Slovakia) seemed to be "in good shape" ("en forme").

One minute after take-off the aircraft turned left, as foreseen. However, within 7 seconds the copilot introduced a new parameter in the flight computer and informed the pilot that he had introduced "Zurich East" (this is a beacon located east of their flight path). At that moment the aircraft began to bank to the right and the bank angle reached 42 degrees.

ATC noticed that they were turning right and asked them why. The answer was "Standby" and the ATC authorised them to continue that way. At that time the aircraft was already in a spiral leading to the crash.

It is not known what exactly was the parameter introduced into the computer by the copilot. The spokesperson for the investigation team said that they are searching among the debris for a memory chip that could provide this information.

The spokesman said that it will take a long time before finding out what exactly happened.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 29, 2000

Answers

More links, to Neue Z|rcher Zeitung articles (29. Mdrz 2000). They are both in German.

Confusion on board of Crossair 498 Swit zerland

"Left, left, left!" Swi tzerland

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 29, 2000.


Great posts Rachel!

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 29, 2000.

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