INDEPTH: PLANE FIRE AT PEARSON AIRPORT
Flight 358
FAQs
CBC News Online | Aug. 4, 2005
Was weather a factor in the accident?
As they investigation got underway, Transport Canada officials said they couldn't rule out anything – and weather conditions were something they would look at very closely.
The plane landed in a severe thunderstorm, which included torrential downpours and very strong winds. One passenger remarked that the winds were so strong, the trees were bent over almost parallel to the ground.
The airport authority had declared a red alert from noon on the day of the accident because of the threat of severe weather in the region. A red alert severely restricts outgoing flights. Incoming flights can land, if the pilot is confident that conditions will allow it.
Why try landing in a thunderstorm?
The decision to land in less than ideal conditions ultimately lies with the pilot. It is the pilot's job to bring passengers to their destination as safely as possible.
According to Don Enns of the Canada Transport Safety Board:
"Ultimately the pilot is flying this airplane. If the conditions are suitable or he deems them suitable he can proceed to land. Prior to that he's given instructions by ATC (Air Traffic Control). Now that's going to be part of our investigation."
Marc Antoine Plourde, a commercial airline pilot, puts it this way:
"We have our own life in our hands. And if I have a doubt as a captain about making an approach, [that] I am jeopardizing my own life, I will go around. I will abort the landing. So there is a hesitancy in that we want to land, we want to bring the passengers to the airport as quickly and safely as we can. But in no way does that go ahead of safety."
Could lightning have brought down the plane?
Not likely. According to aviation expert Joseph D'Cruz, lightning by itself is not normally a problem in this type of aircraft.
"The aircraft has a metal shell which protects the passengers, and, secondly, the aircraft is on rubber tires. So lightning by and of itself is not likely to be a factor on its own. Lightning in combination with something else could have been a problem."
On Friday, Aug. 5, 2005, Transportation Safety Board investigator Real Levasseur told a news conference that there is no evidence that lightning struck the plane during its failed landing. There had been eyewitness reports that a bolt of lightning appeared to hit the plane during its final descent.
Levasseur added that the aircraft landed farther down the runway from where a similar passenger jet would normally touch down. He said all four of the plane's thrust reversers were operating correctly when the plane landed. Thrust reversers help to slow down the plane upon landing. The plane slid off the runway at 150 kilometres per hour.
When did the fire break out?
Airport fire chief Mike Figiola said emergency response teams were at the crash scene within 52 seconds. He noted that by then, most of the passengers were already off the plane. He added that the fire was also rapidly spreading at that time – and that he could feel intense heat 50 metres from the aircraft.
Had the fire broken out inside the aircraft, the passengers would have had about 30 seconds to get out of the aircraft before becoming overcome by intense smoke. Flames on the exterior gave them more time. Figiola said the plane was empty within two minutes.
Flames on the exterior raised the possibility of an explosion. That didn't happen.
It took about four hours to get the fire under control, however it was still smouldering 16 hours later.
Why did it take so long to find out about survivors?
Federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre was on his way to Iqaluit at the time of the accident. He said he was initially told by Defence Department officials that 200 people had died in the accident. That wasn't corrected until he was on the ground in Nunavut.
About two hours after the crash, word came out that nobody had died and that it appeared there were no serious injuries.
There was major confusion in the moments after the crash. Some of the passengers had made their way to Highway 401 – less than a minute's walk from the site of the crash. Several had flagged down drivers and got lifts either back to the airport or out of the area. One of the pilots even wound up hitching a ride on the highway.
Others were taken to a nearby hotel – or to the airport. Several passengers were angry that they were required to go through customs before they were allowed to continue on.
With passengers scattered in various locations and the plane on fire, it was difficult to get a quick and accurate tally of passengers who got off the plane.
Who's in charge of the investigation?
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will take the lead on the investigation. It's their job to determine the cause when there's an air accident in Canada.
Air France has offered to help in the investigation.
Why are flight data recorders considered key to the investigation?
There are two types of recorders on airplanes. The cockpit voice recorder captures cockpit conversations, both among the crew and between the crew and the control tower.
The flight data recorder grabs a wide variety of information such as:
- Time of the accident
- Pressure altitude.
- Airspeed.
- Vertical acceleration.
- Magnetic heading.
- Control-column position.
- Rudder-pedal position.
- Control-wheel position.
- Horizontal stabilizer.
- Fuel flow.
The recorders were recovered the day after the accident. They've been shipped to France for further analysis.
"If there's no damage, it's just like an electronic transfer off of one computer to another," Don Enns – a senior Transportation Safety Board investigator told reporters.
The devices are designed to withstand the impact of a crash and searing heat that can exceed 1,000 degrees Celsius in a plane crash and fire.
The devices are referred to as "black boxes." They are actually orange.
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