Sat, Dec 31, 2016
Airliner Went Down In Bolivian Mountains In 1985
The NTSB is working to take possession of a data recorder thought to be from Eastern Airlines Flight 980 that was discovered by a pair of climbers from Mount Illimani in Bolivia.
Dan Futrell and Isaac Stoner, both from Boston, climbed the mountain in May of this year. During their climb, they found what appears to be one of the data recorders from the Boeing 727-200 which impacted the mountain on January 1, 1985. There were no survivors from the accident, and international efforts to recover the data recorders were abandoned because of the ruggedness of the accident site, according to ABC News.
The two friends brought the device with them back to Boston.
Because international regulations require the civil aviation authority of the country in which the accident occurred to take the lead in any investigation, the NTSB could not examine the device without the permission of the Bolivian government. That permission was difficult to obtain. Butrell and Stoner reportedly attempted to contact the Bolivian Embassy in Washington, but their phone calls, emails and certified mail all went unanswered.
The breakthrough came on December 1. ABC News was told by Capt. Edgar Chavez, the operations inspector at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Bolivia that the government would allow inspection of the device by the NTSB.
Now, it's a matter of making sure all the proper paperwork is filed. Until then, the evidence that may offer clues to what some say is one of the biggest aviation mysteries of the 20th century remains in an apartment in suburban Boston.
(Representative 727-200 pictured in file photo. Not accident airplane)
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]