Communiqués

TSB A 12/98

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is sending a team of investigators to the site of the accident south of Halifax, Nova Scotia Involving a Swissair MD-11 flying from New York to Geneva

On the night of 02 September 1998

(Hull, Québec - 03-September 1998) - An investigation team from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is being sent to the site of the accident south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, involving a Swissair MD-11 with a reported 228 persons on board. The accident occurred at approximately 2230 Atlantic Daylight Time 02 September 1998.

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was on a flight from New York to Geneva, Switzerland. The crew declared an emergency to air traffic control at approximately 2215 ADT. The crew had reported smoke in the cockpit and were attempting to reach Halifax International Airport.

Search operations are in progress and TSB investigators are co-ordinating their initial work with emergency response organizations.

Under international agreements, Canada, as the state of occurrence, will conduct the investigation with assistance from the United States and Switzerland.

Under the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, the TSB has the exclusive jurisdiction to investigate this occurrence in order to make findings as to its causes and contributing factors.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

(This communique was released early on the morning of 3 September 1998, before the final number of 229 persons on board the aircraft was confirmed.)