Chalks grounds Mallards three days after fatal crash
Joe Singleton, Washington DC (22Dec05, 22:22
GMT, 129 words)
A US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) official confirms that Chalks Ocean Airways has grounded its fleet of Grumman Mallards following a December 19 crash near Miami Beach, Florida that killed 20 passengers and crew.
The grounding comes as the NTSB completes its initial on-site investigation.
NTSB investigators have found significant fatigue cracks in the crashed Mallard’s right wing spar, which reportedly detached just after takeoff and burst into flames.
The safety board’s spokesman also says the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder was destroyed on impact, and that no data could be retrieved.
The fatigue cracks, the aircraft’s maintenance record, and the age of the aircraft - which was built in 1947 - will be major factors as the NTSB investigation continues at the safety board’s headquarters in Washington DC.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news