WIX Archives
Official Boeing Report...Stratoliner back at Boeing Field
Posted by bdk on Mon Apr 01, 2002 12:35:35 PM
In reply top Office of Accident Investigation posted by Paul Coggan on Mon Apr 01, 2002 04:36:48 AM
Stratoliner back at Boeing Field
The Boeing 307 Stratoliner that made an emergency landing Thursday in Seattle's Elliott Bay is back at Boeing Field.
The airplane was lifted intact out of the water Friday afternoon and transported by barge to a nearby pier, where it underwent a thorough freshwater wash. The NTSB announced Friday that the emergency landing was prompted after all four engines went out. The Stratoliner was taken by flatbed truck to a hangar at Boeing Field on Saturday, where the National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation. The exact cause of the malfunction is still under investigation, a process expected to last months.
When the NTSB begins such an investigation, Boeing takes a support role and public comment about possible cause ceases until the investigation concludes. Employees are asked not to share personal speculation with the media.
The NTSB is interviewing the Stratoliner's four crew members, all of whom were Boeing employees, who escaped unharmed from Thursday's crash. They were rescued from the airplane while it was floating in the bay, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Stratoliner's restoration plans are still being determined.
Upon the airplane's crash on Thursday, the Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology, Seattle Police Department and Boeing responded. The airplane was performing flight tests and had been in the air for about one hour before the accident.
Authorities undertook environmental responses after the crash. According to the Washington Department of Ecology, there was an initial sheen of aviation gas that quickly dissipated causing no impact to the beach or wildlife. To ensure safety of the public, the environment, the airplane and the incident response and recovery team, authorities established a 250-yard restricted zone around the airplane and a temporary restricted flight zone over the wreckage. Also, no scuba diving is allowed in adjacent coves until further notice.
This plane is the last existing Boeing 307 Stratoliner. Last June, Boeing employees completed a six-year restoration process and rolled out the airplane, which is the world's first pressurized commercial airliner. The airplane was destined for the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a companion facility of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum outside Washington, D.C.
To read about the Stratoliner's history and renovation, go to http://bcag.boeing.com/info/special/stratoliner/bckground.htm.