The airplane that crashed Thursday in a Michigan snowstorm had a history of propeller and de-icing equipment problems, service records show. These are two areas expected to be the initial focus of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation.
The Embraer Brasilia 120 turboprop that crashed had been pulled out of service 22 times since October 1992 for repairs ranging from broken door latches to cracked mechanical parts, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
NTSB spokesman Pat Cariseo said he could not say how the 22 problems compared to similar aircraft, or whether that number was high or low.
''We will look at this plane's service reports, and the type of problems it has had. Whether it's had 22 or hundreds of repairs isn't a major point,'' he said "... It's whether those problems were repaired and repaired correctly.''
Philip Walters, 67, a retired American Airlines pilot from Los Angeles who has flown this type of aircraft, said the plane's de-icing and propeller problems ''will be one of the first things the NTSB will look at.''
''It's a standard thing for the NTSB to look for initially; a turboprop with past de-icing equipment and prop troubles goes down in a snowstorm,'' Mr. Walters said. Another pilot who has flown the Embraer Brasilia 120 ''at least a thousand times'' criticized the airplane's general performance and reliability.
Joseph Masters, 58, a retired United Airlines pilot from New York City, said, ''The Michigan crash won't be the last involving that plane.
''I've flown that (type of) plane, and I can tell you it is loaded with problems,'' Mr. Masters said. ''The mechanics were always finding gear box problems, structural weaknesses and propeller problems. There were times when I actually prayed out loud during a climb because I wasn't sure we'd make it due to some engine problem. Luckily, I'm still here.''
According to FAA and NTSB records, the aircraft involved in the Michigan disaster was pulled out of service for several serious problems, including:
- Jan. 22, 1993 - left propeller problems, ''behaved abnormally.''
- Feb. 11, 1993 - right engine ''inlet de-ice cover fails during flight.''
- March 29, 1994 - aircraft safety system warns of ''airfoil de-icing failure.''
- March 3, 1995 - a door opens in flight after a hinge bracket breaks.
Embraer Brasilia 120 planes similar to the one that crashed in Michigan have a history of mechanical and equipment problems documented by the FAA and have been involved in several air disasters and near-disasters. Yet it is one of the most popular planes used by regional airlines, with more than 250 currently in use, according to FAA records.
NTSB records show that prior to Thursday, the deadliest accident occurred in Brunswick, Ga., on April 5, 1991, when 23 people were killed, including former Texas Sen. John Tower.
That Atlantic Southeast Airlines plane crashed after one of the plane's propellers malfunctioned, sending the aircraft out of control.
Fourteen people died in a Sept. 11, 1991, Brasilia crash at Eagle Lake, Texas, when an improperly maintained tail section failed in flight, sending the Continental Express flight spiraling to the ground.
Five people were killed on Aug. 23, 1995, in a Carrollton, Ga., crash after a propeller blade snapped off the Embraer Brasilia turboprop in mid-flight.
And on April 9, 1990, a Brasilia collided in midair near Gadsden, Ala., with a small, four-seater plane. The Brasilia with 18 passengers and three crew was able to land safely, but the pilot and his passenger in the light plane died.
Following the Carrollton crash, the FAA ordered airlines using the Embraer 120 Brasilia plane to take out of service any propeller blades that had undergone repairs.
The FAA also ordered airlines to inspect all propellers manufactured by Hamilton Standard, a division of the United Technologies Corp.
FAA and NTSB records also reveal a lengthy record of mechanical and system problems with the Brasilia that resulted in several ''near-fatal'' incidents, according to federal investigators.
Comair, which leased the Brasilia involved in the fatal Detroit incident, had another scare involving a similar plane less than seven months ago.
In that June 23, 1996, incident, Comair Flight 3599 from Nassau, Bahamas, experienced a failure of main and backup hydraulic systems designed to lower the plane's landing gear as it attempted to land at Orlando International Airport.
After dumping its fuel, the plane landed, skidding 2,500 feet on its belly and collapsed landing gear before stopping. No passengers were seriously injured.
FAA and NTSB records, including ''Service Difficulty Reports,'' show that more than 175 Embraer Brasilia planes throughout the nation have been pulled out of service more than a thousand times for varying lengths of time since 1988 for both major and minor repairs.
Some problems with the Brasilia were the result of pilot error.
For example, on May 6, 1989, a pilot overshot his approach on a runway at a Mount Pleasant, Tenn., airport, slamming into trees. The pilot and a passenger survived.
On April 29, 1993, in Little Rock, Ark., the pilot of a Brasilia heeded the request of a flight attendant to make the plane climb faster so she could begin her cabin service. The plane stalled at least twice before making an emergency landing. No one was injured.
On July 17, 1995, at Los Angeles International Airport, a pilot for West Air Commuter Airlines decided not to use a designated taxi lane because she said she was in a hurry. She then taxied her Brasilia into a parked Boeing 767. No one was injured.
CRASH
SERVICE RECORD
VICTIMS
WEATHER
COMAIR
CRASH SITE
AIRPORT
INVESTIGATION
