The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is gearing up for an investigation into a recent Alaskan Air flight that resulted in the death of a passenger and the injuries of two others. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt made a statement about the inquiry on Wednesday, stressing the seriousness of the inquiry and the high stakes involved for all affected parties.
Sumwalt announced that an NTSB team of seven investigators, including two aviation experts, had already begun to assess the situation. He noted that the preliminary site visits are only the first step in the process and that they will work to receive as much information regarding the airplane, its components and the flight crew as possible.
Sumwalt highlighted the significance of the investigation in his statement, noting that NTSB works to “provide answers to families, the aviation industry, and the traveling public …” in addition to making “safety recommendations, when necessary, to prevent these events from recurring in the future.”
The flight under inquiry was between Anchorage and Unalaska on August 27th. Eight crew members and 82 passengers were on board the Boeing 737-400 until the plane abruptly made an emergency landing in an unpopulated area on Akutan Island. After the landing, three passengers were taken to the hospital—one of them later died from the injuries sustained in the incident.
The NTSB have not released the cause of the emergency landing yet but is extensively investigating the possibility of a mechanical issue with the main landing gear. Evidence from the site, the plane’s recordings and any other relevant information will be thoroughly looked at before an official determination is made.
Sumwalt’s statement emphasized the importance of thoroughly analyzing the incident in order to prevent incidents like it from happening in the future. He said that the NTSB “will work tirelessly to uncover the facts so that families and the public can understand why this happened and what must be done to prevent accidents like this in the future.”
The NTSB is known for its professionalism and thoroughness in carrying out investigations like these, and they look forward to providing closure on this investigation for all stakeholders as soon as possible.
