Turbulence Test to Investigate USAir Flight 427 Crash

Federal transportation officials have announced plans for an in-air flight test to determine if turbulence from another airplane could have contributed to the crash of USAir Flight 427 near Pittsburgh last year. The test will involve a Boeing 737, the same type of plane that mysteriously crashed on September 8, 1994, killing 132 people. Despite spending over 40,000 hours on the investigation, authorities have been unable to determine the cause of the crash, ruling out only a few possibilities, including weather.

Key Takeaways:

• The in-air flight test will be conducted next month to investigate the role of turbulence in the crash of USAir Flight 427.
• The test will involve a Boeing 737 and a Boeing 727, with the 737 flying into the vortex created by the 727.
• Authorities have determined that Flight 427 passed through the wake of a Boeing 727 before the crash, but the cause of the crash remains unknown.
• Investigators have only been able to rule out a few causes for the crash, including weather, and other possibilities, such as human performance and aircraft systems, remain under examination.
• A mysterious sound that came from about 20 feet away from the cockpit before the crash is still being studied, and authorities are trying to determine what caused it.
• The investigation into the crash of Flight 427 may become the longest and costliest in NTSB history, with the final report not expected until early next year.

Statistics:

• 132 people were killed in the crash of USAir Flight 427 on September 8, 1994.
• Over 40,000 hours have been spent on the investigation into the crash.
• The test will be conducted in environmental situations similar to those at the time of the crash, but with all safety precautions taken to avoid a duplication of the accident.

Sources:

• Washington Post, August 9
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall