Aircraft Accident Investigations: The Case of USAir Flight 427

Excerpts from the Paper

Aircraft Accident Investigations: The Case of USAir Flight 427
Abstract
This five-page research paper examines and analyzes the lengthy investigation the National Transportation Safety Board conducted in the aftermath of the crash of USAir Flight 427 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1994. Particular attention is paid to wreckage analysis procedures, which in most cases enable investigators to determine the cause of a plane crash or incident, and which can have liability and legal implications, particularly when a system malfunction or design flaw is identified as the cause of a crash. In the case of Flight 427, investigators eventually determined that a design flaw in the rudder control system of Boeing 737’s led to the loss of control...

.....ements in aircraft, but flight safety is the ultimate consideration and must take precedence over every other factor. In the final analysis, accident investigations are of critical importance because they reveal the causes of crashes, compel the aviation industry to rectify technological and/or flight crew training problems, and ultimately make flying safer.
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