DC-10s Called Safe, but Fan Inspections Are Ordered by U.S.
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WASHINGTON — The nation’s top aviation official and the head of the board investigating the DC-10 crash in Iowa both told Congress on Tuesday that the jetliners are safe but also called for mandatory inspections and changes.
James B. Busey, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, announced an order to inspect the fan disks of 220 DC-10 engines similar to the one investigators believe failed before the July 19 crash of a United Airlines DC-10 in Sioux City, Iowa, which killed 112 people.
James Kolstad, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, called for a DC-10 modification recommended by aircraft builder McDonnell Douglas Corp. last week to be mandatory for all of the wide-body jetliners. The firm said the change would prevent the loss of all hydraulic flight controls that occurred before the Iowa crash.
Kolstad said DC-10s and other wide-body airliners are among “the safest airplanes in history.”
Busey, Kolstad and McDonnell Douglas Vice President Dale Warren appeared at a Senate subcommittee hearing on DC-10 safety.
“I assure you and the public that the FAA considers the DC-10 to be a safe aircraft,” Busey said, adding that there is no reason to ground the airliner.
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