We brought you the story of the Fort Lauderdale plane fire that has the airline industry reexamining their safety and inspection protocols. Now the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have released new findings to shed light on the fire and the moments leading up to the accident.
Clarifying The Fort Lauderdale Plane Fire
Investigators discovered that the fuel supply line in the engine that caught on fire had somehow come loose. After surveying the plane’s maintenance logs, officials were determined that the area containing the fuel line had not been inspected before the scheduled flight. It has not been made clear if this was an oversight, or if the inspection procedure excluded this area.
The NTSB’s preliminary report also revealed that the fire never made it into the cabin section of the airplane, which brings into question reports that one passenger sustained severe burns. The report instead claims that the most severe injury sustained during the incident was a head injury sustained by a person who fell in the aisle of the plane.
The NTSB also says that 22 out of the 101 passengers and crew were injured, not the previously reported total of 15. These injuries were mainly attributed to panicked reactions, and the inflatable slides used during the evacuation.
The NTSB’s final report is expected in about a year, but the attorneys at Colson Hicks Eidson are dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest news. Keep following our blog, Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date, and visit our aviation accidents page to learn more about keeping the skies safe.
Colson Hicks Eidson—Injury Attorneys
