A federal safety agency said Wednesday that the improper deployment of wing slats - not turbulence - caused the violent pitching of a China Eastern jetliner April 6.
A second passenger who was aboard the ill-fated China Eastern Airlines flight that was forced to land in the Aleutian Islands died Tuesday officials said.Sam Keung, 56, reported to be from Palm Springs, Calif., died at the Alaska Native Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Mike Benson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said it is unclear whether the unplanned extension of the wing slats resulted from mechanical malfunction or whether a member of the crew unintentionally activated the mechanism. He said the investigation is continuing.
McDonnell Douglas, the manufacturer of the new MD-11 jetliner involved in the accident, said it has no explanation for the problem but agreed with the NTSB that it has do with the wing slats.