NTSB: Delta Crew Said Plane Didn't Appear To Brake Before Skidding Off Runway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The crew aboard a Delta Air Lines jet that skidded off a LaGuardia Airport runway last week told federal investigators the plane did not seem to decelerate after landing despite its auto brakes being set to the maximum position, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
In an update released Monday about the ongoing investigation, the NTSB also said the pilots of Flight 1086 reported that the runway appeared to be all white just before the ill-fated landing Thursday, the plane's automatic spoilers did not deploy but that a pilot quickly deployed them manually, and the captain said he was unable to prevent the plane from drifting left.
PHOTOS: Plane Skids Off LaGuardia Runway
Another Delta Air Lines MD-88 airplane landed on the same runway about three minutes before and reported braking action to be "good," the report said.
NTSB: Delta Crew Said Plane Didn't Appear To Brake Before Skidding Off Runway
Investigators are examining and testing the plane's anti-skid, autobrake and thrust reverser systems. An NTSB meteorologist is also studying the weather conditions at the time of the accident.
Shortly after the flight from Atlanta touched down on a snowy day, it veered sharply off the runway before hitting a berm. The nose of the plane then crashed through a fence, stopping just short of Flushing Bay. Twenty-three of the 132 people aboard the plane suffered minor injuries.
The NTSB said Monday the left wing of the plane actually destroyed 940 feet of the fence before it turned and came to a rest with its nose in the fence.
The jet suffered significant damage to the left wing's leading edge slats, trailing edge flaps, flight spoilers and fuel tank. There was also damage to the nose landing gear, weather radar and to the underside of the fuselage stretching from the front of the airplane to the area of the left front passenger door.
The plane is 27 years old and was last given an overnight service check March 2, the NTSB said.
