Page:CAB Accident Report, TWA Flight 891.pdf/35

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No. 6 was found to the north of Nizzolina, along the path

of fall of the wreckage. A careful eannination of these latter two filters and their respective seats in the wing did not disclose anything abnormal.

The fuel-dumping controls were found in the closed position.

The vent outlets of the fuel tanks were located: the right- Side one was in place on the right mg; the left-Side one

was found With the main wreckage, cruahed and detached from the left Wing. These outlets were later subjected to a series of tests intended to ascertain any poss1ble traces of lightning (see pars. 11.3 and 11.11).

The seven submerged pumps of the seven tanks were recovered and identified: those belonging to tanks Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6 and

7 had been torn from their respective seats at the bottom of the tank follomng the breaking off of the light alloy coupling plates; the protective seeing of pump No. 5 showed signs of heat due to fire. Operational tests and disassembling for check-up, done in the care of all pumps, showed that they were in proper working order.

None of the other parts making up the system showed any Signs of abnormal conditions.

fizdraulic sistem

Nothing abnormal was found in the system, with the exception of minute bronze residues in the flange and the angle Joint of the return pipe of hydraulic purrq) No. 1. Dismantling the pump disclosed that the residues came from pistons Nos. 3 and 8; however, the pump was found to be in working condition aust the same. The hydraulic fluid of system No. l was somewhat darker than normal, but the inspection of all parts of this system sheared no signs of defective operation.

Through the examination of the indiVidual parts and kinematic motion tests thereon it was deduced that the two aides of the landing gear and the landing wheel assembly were in the retracted poSition when the plane dieintegrated, and the fact that the left portion of the landing gear was found in an extended peeition and the right portion in a partly extended peeition is to be ascribed to the inertia forces generated by the breaking off of the right wing and by the impact of the right mg, the fuselage, and left wing with the ground.

About 80% of the accessories of the front compartment of the hydraulic system were recovered. Since some of them, as well as some structural parts of the compartment, showed Signs of fire, this compartment was reconstructed (see par. 11.2.1) With a View to ascertaining whether such Signs were due only to the fire that followed the crash. From the examination of these parts it could not be established whether fire broke out