'Humans are humans'

2005-08-09 12:07

Toronto - With investigators on Monday ruling out engine or mechanical failure in the Air France crash last week, runway conditions, stormy weather and pilot error now appear to be the focus of their probe.

Air France Flight 358 from Paris landed at Lester B Pearson International Airport amid heavy thunderstorms, skidding off the runway for about 200m before slamming into a ravine and catching on fire.

None of the 309 passengers and crew members died, for which the flight attendants are being widely praised. At least 43 people were injured and several remained hospitalised Monday, including the captain of the Airbus A340.

The chief investigator, Real Levasseur of Canada's Transportation Safety Board, declined Monday to concede that the aircraft slammed into a ravine and exploded on impact due in part to "human error."

He acknowledged, however, that the flight data and voice recorders have indicated there were no engine or equipment failures, leading investigators to now focus on the heavy rains and winds during the afternoon landing, as well as a slight decline in the east-west runway.

"As the aircraft wheels touch down, we see the brakes being applied right away, we see the spoilers coming up and we see the thrust reversers also being activated on all four engines," he told a news conference.

"I have no indication that the aircraft's system, structure or controls or anything like that would not have been working properly ... because it seems that the airplane was running fine," he said.

His 35-member team is now focusing on the 2 700m runway, the severe weather conditions and why the pilot came down "long," or some 1 200m down the runway.

When pressed on whether human error was shaping up as a leading factor of the crash, Levasseur said it was not the TSB's job to "point fingers."

"Humans are humans; they are not machines," he said. "I don't look at human error, what mistakes that the pilot might have made. I just take a look at all actions taken, what happened to make this captain or this person not do this job that he has been trained to do."

Levasseur said investigators were looking into whether a slight decline in the east-west runway would have made it more difficult for the crew to slow down the airplane.

Levasseur discounted media reports that have suggested the spoilers - or wing flaps that help slow large passenger jets during landings - have been a problem for the Airbus A340. Records of Transport Canada, the country's federal transportation ministry, indicate there have been four incidents of spoiler failure with the A340 in the last five years.

"Not on this one," he said. "The spoilers came up exactly as they were designed, and as they were supposed to do."

- AP