What went wrong to Swissair flight 111 Research Paper

What went wrong to Swissair flight 111 - Research Paper Example This paper delves into one of the biggest aviation accidents in history; the crash of Swissair Flight 111. This accident brought to fore one of the most common causes of aviation accidents- structural and design problems. The insulating material used to cover fiberglass insulation had propagated a fire that was started above the cockpit ceiling by an arcing event. Although aircraft insulation blankets help in protecting passengers and crew against noise and frigid temperatures at high altitudes, the materials used should meet the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) flammability test requirements. Swissair Flight 111 was en route from New York, United States of America to Geneva, Switzerland on 2 September 1998. There were 229 souls on board (National Geographic, 2014). However, approximately 53 minutes into the flight, while the plane was flying 33000 feet, the crew members began to smell something unusual in the cockpit. The smell came from an area right above them. Almost at the same time, the pilots noticed a small amount of smoke filing the cockpit. The pilots started to investigate exactly where the smoke came from (Carley, 1998). After a while, they noticed that what was initially seen as the source could no longer be seen, and they stopped the investigation. Based on their experience and perception, they concluded that the smell and smoke was as a result of the air conditioning system in the pane. Although the smoke had disappeared, the pilots decided that it was necessary to land and have the plane checked before continuing with the flight. At first, they wanted to t urn to Boston, but the air traffic controller advised them to land at Halifax, Canada (National Geographic, 2014). The crew also requested the air traffic controller at Halifax that they needed to dump fuel, and the plane was diverted to St. Margaret’s Bay where the fuel could be dumped. The crew started to prepare for an emergency landing, and this involved undertaking the