Accident Investigation Chairman

The investigation of USAir 427 has now officially concluded, with the NTSB unanimously adopting a 500-page final report. The report contains 34 conclusions and ten recommendations to the FAA. It also includes the following probable cause statement:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the USAir flight 427 accident was a loss of control of the airplane resulting from the movement of the rudder surface to its blowdown limit. The rudder surface most likely deflected in a direction opposite to that commanded by the pilots as a result of a jam of the main rudder PCU servo valve secondary slide to the servo valve housing offset from its neutral position and overtravel of the primary slide.

"Looking at the conclusions . . . " Looking at the conclusions and probable cause, we must remember that there were many parties who were applying their best efforts to implicate our crew. For over four years every action of our crew was under a microscope and attacked at every opportunity. We should all be very proud that the investigation revealed that they acted as the true professionals that we all knew they were. We clearly should be very proud of their performance and take comfort in knowing that their fine reputations are in tact.

This investigation was the most extensive that the NTSB and our pilot group have ever been involved with. The ALPA team was involved from the outset during a very lengthy on-scene phase. The conclusion of the field phase, or fact-finding phase, would not last several months as we have come to expect, but would continue for years. Throughout this process one constant has remained: the dedication of the ALPA team. This group earned a level of credibility that no other party could match. We are all proud of our achievements, and we are honored that our pilot group entrusts us with this important work.

Now that the investigation is complete, we must address the safety of the B-737. The industry has taken many steps over the past two or three years that should allow us to continue safe operations for the short term. These include the modified power control unit, which will eliminate the failure responsible for the USAir 427 and United 585 accidents. The increased maneuver speeds and QRH procedures will effectively deal with other rudder anomalies. In the long term, however, we agree with NTSB that the B-737 must have a "reliably redundant rudder activation system." ALPA will continue its work with NTSB, Boeing, FAA, and others to ensure our long-term goals are met. John Cox (PHL) and the Central Air Safety Committee (most of whom work on the Accident Investigation Committee) will lead these efforts. You can look forward to future communications from them regarding their progress.

Many of our fellow pilots worked hard to conclude this investigation. We are all pleased to see this end, except for one thing: we will all miss working with Herb LeGrow, who began this investigation as ALPA’s coordinator. Although Herb retired during the course of the investigation, he continued to work as a consultant. Even following the expiration of his contract with the Association he continued to work selflessly on his own time. I’m sure I speak for all of us in wishing Herb the best in the coming years.