Toll in United DC-10 Crash Rises to 109
The death toll in the United DC-10 crash was raised to 109 today with two people unaccounted for, and investigators reported that repair work had been done on the plane the day before the flight.
City Manager Hank Sinda said at a news conference that 109 bodies had been recovered by late Thursday.
Sinda reported 184 survivors from United Airlines Flight 232, which if there are two missing persons would bring the total aboard to 295. That figure conforms to the total reported Thursday by National Transportation Safety Board officials. United was sticking by its previous figure of 293 people aboard.
Meanwhile, investigators focused on the plane’s No. 2, or rear engine, which was found to be missing its fan after the crash.
NTSB member Jim Burnett said the board had examined the last 20 maintenance write-ups for the plane, including repair work done on the pneumatic system the day before the crash. The pneumatic system affects air pressure in the engine, air-conditioning and pressurization systems, he said.
“We know of no connection between the pneumatic system and anything that would have, could have, affected the functioning of the engine,” he said this morning on NBC’s “Today” show.
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