Geoff Thomas
The stabiliser jackscrew continues to be the focus of attention for investigators examining the causes of last month's Alaska Airlines MD-83 crash into the Pacific off California which killed all 88 people on board.
Delivered to Alaska Airlines in May 1992, the MD-83 was built at a time when McDonnell Douglas (acquired by Boeing in 1997) was in the midst of major financial and manufacturing difficulties.
It's alleged that a key part of the stabiliser was scheduled to be replaced and then later cleared to remain in the aircraft, according to reports emanating from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
After the January crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the inspection of the horizontal stabiliser on more than 1,100 MD-80, MD-90, DC-9 and Boeing 717 airliners all of which have a similar mechanism controlling the pitch of the aircraft.
The crew of Alaska Airlines flight 261 reported problems with the aircraft's horizontal stabiliser and were trying to correct them when the aircraft crashed into the Pacific. No official cause for the crash has yet been found.
Source: Flight Daily News
