Swissair Flight 111 Remembered

Canadian Minister of Transport Lawrence Cannon said Sept. 2, 2008, the ten-year anniversary of the crash of Swissair Flight 111, was “a day to remember the victims of one of the most tragic air accidents in Canadian history.” He commended the Transportation Safety Board for its final report into the accident, released on March 27, 2003. “The Board's thorough work resulted in considerable improvements to aviation safety around the world. In response to this report, Transport Canada notably improved fire safety on planes by mandating the removal of flammable insulation on all Canadian aircraft,” said Cannon. “Transport Canada took an important step forward with the introduction of safety management system regulations. These additional regulations require aviation organizations to identify safety issues before they become bigger problems. It's focusing on what we do to prevent accidents from occurring. I am confident that safety management systems will help save lives by preventing accidents,” he added. The Swissair MD-11 crashed off Peggy’s cove in Nova Scotia after catching fire on a flight to Geneva from New York. All 229 people aboard perished. Transport Canada concluded that sparks from faulty wiring ignited flammable insulation. The final report included 23 recommendations, the most notable of which called for removal of thermal acoustic insulation blankets. Airlines have since removed them from jetliners.