CALM.
CALM. MARK ZELINGER REPORTING FROM DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TONIGHT.
MARK, THANK YOU.
THE FAA SAYS IT IS AWARE
OF REPORTS OF DEBRIS IN
THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPLANE'S
FLIGHT PATH AND THE FAA AND
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD WILL NOW
INVESTIGATE.
SO I WANT TO HAVE GREG FEITH,
9NEWS AVIATION EXPERT GREG
FEITH JOIN US NOW.
YOU HAVE SPENT YEARS
INVESTIGATING PLANE CRASHES AND
OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED
.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE
PICTURES AND VIDEOS TODAY WE'VE
SEEN THE DEBRIS.
WE'VE SEEN SOME THINGS FROM
PLANE PASSENGERS.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT BOTH
WHAT ARE THESE PIECES WE'RE
LOOKING AT AND AND WHAT ARE WE
LOOKING AT HAPPENING IN THESE
IMAGES?
YOU'RE LOOKING AT PARTS OF THE
FRONT END OF THE ENGINE KELLYN
THAT'S THE PART THAT YOU CAN
TYPICALLY SEE FROM
THE PASSENGER CABIN.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOT ONLY
THE FRONT END BUT OF COURSE
THE REMAINDER OF THE COLORAOD
SHIELD, THE REST OF THE ENGINE.
THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT CAME
OFF.
WHAT YOU SEE FROM THE VIDEOS,
OF COURSE IS THE HEAVY
STRUCTURE OF THE ENGINE.
THAT IS WHERE THERE WAS A
COMPRESSOR WHERE YOU ENTER FUEL
AND BURN IT TO CREATE
THE EXHAUST OR THE THRUST
COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S FUEL
STILL BEING FED INTO THAT
ENGINE.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A FIRE IN
THE EXHAUST SECTION OF THE
ENGINE.
BRUMFIEL POLICE HAVE TOLD
PEOPLE DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING,
DO NOT MOVE ANY DEBRIS, LEAVE
IT IN PLACE FOR INVESTIGATORS.
SO WITH THIS MUCH DEBRIS, WHERE
ARE INVESTIGATORS GOING TO
START?
WHAT ARE THEY DOING AND WHAT
KINDS OF THINGS TO POTENTIALLY
CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN WHEN
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE KINDS
OF PIECES, SOME OF IT HAS SOME
VERY TELLTALE EVIDENCE AS TO
HOW THOSE PIECES CAME OFF THAT
ENGINE.
ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT
WE'VE HAD OVER A NUMBER
OF YEARS WITH A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT ENGINES DECISION
IS MADE UP OF A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT FAN BLADES TURBINE
BLADES, COMPRESSOR BLADES,
BLADES FAIL WHEN THEY FAIL THEY
FEEL CATASTROPHICALLY THEY
CREATE A LOT OF SHRAPNEL AND
IT'S THAT EXPLOSION, IF YOU
WILL, OF THE SHRAPNEL THAT THEN
CAUSES ALL THE EXTERNAL DAMAGE
THESE PARTS AND PIECES ARE
GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL
LOOKING FOR WHAT MAY HAVE
CAUSED WHAT INITIATED THIS
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
THIS IS CONSIDERED AN
UNCONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE.
SO THE KEY NOW IS TRYING
DETERMINE WHAT THE MARGIN
OF THAT FAILURE IS AND ONE
OF THOSE KEY PIECES MAY BE IN
SOMEONE'S YARD.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST
STUNNING THINGS WE'VE SEEN FROM
TODAY IS THANK GOODNESS NOBODY
HAS BEEN REPORTED HURT FROM
WHAT HAPPENED AND THIS HAPPENED
OVER A PRETTY DENSE RESIDENTIAL
AREA.
WALK US THROUGH WHO'S MAKING
DECISIONS AND HOW YOU DECIDE TO
GET BACK TO SAFELY HERE AND CAN
YOU AVOID FLYING OVER A
NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE DROPPING
THE DEBRIS AT THIS POINT OR NO
?
WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS
IS THAT ANY TIME YOU HAVE A
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF AN
ENGINE LIKE THIS WHERE SOME
OTHER EVENT WHERE THE CREW HAS
TO ADDRESS THEY ARE THE THE
SOLE PRIMARY AUTHORITY AS TO
CONTROLLING THAT AIRPLANE AND
MAKING A DECISION AS TO WHAT
THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO
GET THE AIRPLANE BACK TO
THE AIRPORT WHILE THEY CAN GET
ASSISTANCE FROM AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL TO CLEAR THE AIRSPACE.
GOT TO GET THE AIR.
IT IS UP TO THAT CREW TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY HAVE FULL
CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THEY WILL FLY IT IN A PATTERN
NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY HAVE THAT CONTROL ABILITY
AND OF COURSE THIS KIND
OF SITUATION THIS IS A CRITICAL
SITUATION BECAUSE THEY ARE
HEAVY, LOW AND THAT IS THEIR
FORECAST.
YOU'RE JUST STARTING TO TO
THE FULL TANKS OF FUEL AND
OF COURSE THE AIRCRAFT IS THAT
SO THEY'RE GOING TO CREATE MORE
STRUCTURAL IN DAMAGE WHEN
THE LAY OF THE LAND OVER WHERE
THE LANDING GEAR CAN ONLY TAKE
SO MUCH LAND.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DECISIONS
THAT GO INTO BUT THE CREW IS
THE FINAL AUTHORITY TO
DETERMINE HOW THAT AIRCRAFT
BACK TO THE AIRPORT.
ALL RIGHT.
LITTLE INSIGHT TONIGHT FROM
THIGNS