Swissair replaces Mylar
insulation in fleet of MD-11s
By The Associated Press
Zurich - Swissair said Tuesday it is replacing Mylar insulation
in its MD-11 jets with a "particularly fire-resistant" new material.
The first plane refitted with Tedlar insulation in the cockpit
and cabin sections will go into service in mid-November, the airline
said in a statement.
"This task is undertaken at Swissair's initiative and is based on
information gathered in the ongoing investigation into the cause of
the SR111 accident," it added.
The Geneva-bound flight from New York, an MD-11, crashed off the
coast of Nova Scotia on Sept. 2 last year, killing all 229 people
aboard.
Though the cause of Flight 111's fire remains unknown,
investigators have learned enough to prompt several safety measures.
U.S. officials recommended all MD-11s be inspected for wiring
problems, and they recently proposed an order for airlines to
replace Mylar insulation in nearly 700 airplanes, including MD-11s,
over the next four years because it failed a new anti-flame test.
Swissair and Boeing, which now owns MD-11 manufacturer McDonnell
Douglas, are sharing the costs of refitting the first MD-11,
Swissair said, adding that it plans to re-equip its entire fleet of
the planes "irrespective of an eventual mandate" from the Federal
Aviation Authority.
Boeing "intends to use the knowledge gained from the process to
create recommendations and documentation that will simplify future
aircraft maintenance and overhaul procedures," Swissair said.
The airline said its other aircraft contain insulation blankets
made of other materials and are unaffected.
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