Switzerland and Halifax, Canada (TSR, Fre) – Ten years ago flight SR111 from New York to Geneva crashed into the Atlantic just off the coast of Halifax, near Peggy’s Cove, killing the 229 people on board. It is Switzerland’s worst air disaster and prompted national mourning for the last-ever SR111 flight, often referred to as the UN shuttle for the number of United Nations workers who used it between Geneva and New York.
The origins of the fire that brought down the plane were never clearly determined, and the state-of-the-art entertainment system was long suspected as the cause, prompting airlines to slow down their installation of these systems.
A long and careful examination of the crash by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada eventually led investigators to conclude that a fire began in the wiring linked to the entertainment system, where there were flammable materials, and it spread to other parts of the aircraft’s electrical wiring. The area where it began had no extinguishers or smoke alarms. By the time the pilots discovered the fire it was too late to put it out and they were soon overcome by smoke and unable to manage the plane.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada, final report
The last minutes on board: TSR report featuring audio between Halifax tower and SR111, released in May 2007 by the Canadian government