This reporter alleges that a type of wiring insulation commonly used on aircraft may be a factor in ...

Attributes
ACN	336229
Time
Date	199605
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	336229
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

See attached newspaper articles. While newspapers notoriously garble facts, I have enough personal knowledge of this situation to know the facts are accurate. This may relate to the recent incident in florida. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter alleges that this insulation material is prone to explosive failure or violent burning when stressed while electrical current is applied. The reporter said that the articles in his graphical attachments are part of a series of 7 done by the 'fort worth STAR telegram' and he said that the articles are accurate. The reporter also said that the 'american society of testing materials' of phl, PA, has conducted tests of the wiring insulation material. These tests were, apparently, done by a group known as the DC9-16 committee to a standard known as D30-32 (high temperature hook-up wire). The reporter said that he was very familiar with the testing and the standard and that the material in question became very conductive under high temperature. The reporter also alleged that the lear jet crash in fat, ca, several yrs ago was caused by improper use of the same material that he is bringing into question. The reporter is reluctant to step forward at this time, he said, because of the expense and trouble that he may incur.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS RPTR ALLEGES THAT A TYPE OF WIRING INSULATION COMMONLY USED ON ACFT MAY BE A FACTOR IN CAUSING THE FIRES IN PREVIOUS ACFT ACCIDENTS AND MAY BE A FACTOR ON A RECENT DC9 CRASH IN FLORIDA.

Narrative: SEE ATTACHED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES. WHILE NEWSPAPERS NOTORIOUSLY GARBLE FACTS, I HAVE ENOUGH PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SIT TO KNOW THE FACTS ARE ACCURATE. THIS MAY RELATE TO THE RECENT INCIDENT IN FLORIDA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THIS INSULATION MATERIAL IS PRONE TO EXPLOSIVE FAILURE OR VIOLENT BURNING WHEN STRESSED WHILE ELECTRICAL CURRENT IS APPLIED. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE ARTICLES IN HIS GRAPHICAL ATTACHMENTS ARE PART OF A SERIES OF 7 DONE BY THE 'FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM' AND HE SAID THAT THE ARTICLES ARE ACCURATE. THE RPTR ALSO SAID THAT THE 'AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TESTING MATERIALS' OF PHL, PA, HAS CONDUCTED TESTS OF THE WIRING INSULATION MATERIAL. THESE TESTS WERE, APPARENTLY, DONE BY A GROUP KNOWN AS THE DC9-16 COMMITTEE TO A STANDARD KNOWN AS D30-32 (HIGH TEMP HOOK-UP WIRE). THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TESTING AND THE STANDARD AND THAT THE MATERIAL IN QUESTION BECAME VERY CONDUCTIVE UNDER HIGH TEMP. THE RPTR ALSO ALLEGED THAT THE LEAR JET CRASH IN FAT, CA, SEVERAL YRS AGO WAS CAUSED BY IMPROPER USE OF THE SAME MATERIAL THAT HE IS BRINGING INTO QUESTION. THE RPTR IS RELUCTANT TO STEP FORWARD AT THIS TIME, HE SAID, BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE AND TROUBLE THAT HE MAY INCUR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

This reporter alleges that a type of wiring insulation commonly used on aircraft may be a factor in causing the fires in previous aircraft accidents and may be a factor on a recent DC9 crash in florida.