> STORY > Wiring cause of Swissair crash: source > Source claims probe found entertainment system to > blame, cites confidential report > > RICHARD DOOLEY > The Daily News > > > Monday, September 02, 2002 > > > > The families of victims of Swissair Flight 111 > have to wait until next year to learn what > started the fire that caused it to slam into the > Atlantic Ocean near Peggy's Cove four years ago > today, killing all 229 people on board. > > But information purporting to be leaked from the > Transportation Safety Board's investigation into > the crash has found its way to the Internet, and > is being widely circulated by relatives of the > crash victims. > > The information from a source calling himself > "beanspiller _ca" claims investigators have > identified the cause of the fire as improper > wiring of the Boeing MD-11's controversial > high-tech entertainment system. > > The in-flight entertainment system was wired into > the seats and offered video on demand, games and > other high-tech options. It was supplied by > Interactive Flight Technologies Inc. and > installed by a contractor, Hollingshead > International, and certified by Santa Barbara > Aerospace. > > Beanspiller claims Flight 111 investigators > discovered the system's wiring could have been > corroded and worn, causing an electrical fire. > > "The investigators discovered all this wiring was > laid bare in the space above the cabin instead of > in a conduit, as required by law," Beanspiller > writes. "I'm putting my neck on the line printing > this, but you have the right to know." > > The Transportation Safety Board has begun > circulating a confidential draft report to > parties involved in the investigation in a review > and comment process that could take months to > complete. > > Board spokesman John Cottreau said the board > doesn't monitor Internet sites related to the > crash and won't comment on the recent posting. > > "We are still in the report production phase, and > this is confidential," he said. > > Mark and Barbara Fetherolf, whose 16-year-old > daughter Tara died in the crash, closely monitor > Internet chat groups for information relating to > the investigation. > > "I think Beanspiller is the real deal," said Mark > Fetherolf. He said Beanspiller had detailed > information that is not generally available. > > Fetherolf said he is angry family members have to > learn information about the crash from anonymous > sources and is worried the TSB's draft review > process gives companies that could be held > accountable for an accident a chance to read > findings before they are made publicly available. > > Fetherolf said he only hopes the Flight 111 final > report reveals what happened and why. "To that > end, we can only applaud the courage of those who > spill the beans," he said. > > The investigation focused on a fire in the > cockpit section of the plane detected by its > pilots 16 minutes before the plane slammed into > St. Margarets Bay, shattering the jet into > millions of pieces. The New York to Geneva jet > was preparing for an emergency landing at Halifax > International Airport when it crash-ed around > 10:31 p.m. on Sept. 2, 1998. > > A fire is believed to have spread rapidly through > the plane's forward bulkheads, severely disabling > the jet and sending it plunging into the sea. > > The cause of the fire has not been identified, > but wiring has long been considered the prime > suspect. > > Last year, lead investigator Vic Gerden said the > best investigators may be able to do is pinpoint > a chain of events that contributed to the > disaster. > >