Cameroon crash probe finds no mechanical problems
1:00 AM
Posted: Saturday, June 16, 2007
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- A preliminary investigation into a plane crash that killed 114 people in Cameroon last month has found no evidence of mechanical failure, Cameroon authorities said in a statement posted Friday on a government Web site.
The Kenya Airways flight nose-dived into a swamp in Cameroon less than two minutes after taking off from the West African country's commercial capital of Douala on a stormy night. The Boeing 737-800 was bound for Kenya.
The Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority said a full report of what led to the May 5 crash will take up to a year.
The preliminary review of the flight data recorder showed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction, the statement said. In addition, the investigation found that all crew members were sufficiently trained and certified according to expected aviation guidelines.
Though the flight was delayed about an hour because of thunderstorms and heavy rain, the report suggested that conditions had cleared by the time the flight took off.
Pilots from two other airlines said they waited longer to take off because they were concerned about the weather.
The report said the Kenya Airways jetliner reached 3,000 feet before nose-diving sharply at a 45 degree angle "for undetermined reasons."
Investigators also plan to review the performance of the flight crew and consider if there were any regulatory oversights, the report said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is assisting Cameroon in the investigation, along with aviation authorities from Kenya and Canada.
Recovery operations are ongoing at the crash site. The cockpit voice recorder has still not been found.
The Kenya Airways flight nose-dived into a swamp in Cameroon less than two minutes after taking off from the West African country's commercial capital of Douala on a stormy night. The Boeing 737-800 was bound for Kenya.
The Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority said a full report of what led to the May 5 crash will take up to a year.
The preliminary review of the flight data recorder showed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction, the statement said. In addition, the investigation found that all crew members were sufficiently trained and certified according to expected aviation guidelines.
Though the flight was delayed about an hour because of thunderstorms and heavy rain, the report suggested that conditions had cleared by the time the flight took off.
Pilots from two other airlines said they waited longer to take off because they were concerned about the weather.
The report said the Kenya Airways jetliner reached 3,000 feet before nose-diving sharply at a 45 degree angle "for undetermined reasons."
Investigators also plan to review the performance of the flight crew and consider if there were any regulatory oversights, the report said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is assisting Cameroon in the investigation, along with aviation authorities from Kenya and Canada.
Recovery operations are ongoing at the crash site. The cockpit voice recorder has still not been found.
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