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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Peter Goelz
Aired August 31, 2002 - 08:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we've been telling you this morning, the FAA has issued an emergency directive for U.S. airlines to inspect fuel pumps on some Boeing 737s, 47s and 57s. The agency says the defect could ignite vapors in the center fuel tank, causing an explosion. About 3,300 planes worldwide must be inspected within a four day period.
Joining us with more from Washington is Peter Goelz. He is a former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Mr. Goelz, good to have you with us.
PETER GOELZ, FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, NTSB: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: Describe the problem as best we understand it with this particular fuel pump.
GOELZ: Well, apparently there was a wiring mishap during manufacturing which could lead to a chafing of the wires that could, in turn, lead to a arcing and short-circuit. And if the tank, the center tank were empty, if it were heated, it could explode. And this all is generated out of the investigation into TWA 800 back in 1996.
O'BRIEN: And remind viewers the final word on that, because there's -- there were so many competing discussions about the possible cause of that crash. Ultimately the focus was that center fuel tank and the suspicion is there was some sort of arcing, correct?
GOELZ: That's right. There were a lot of competing theories. In the end, there was no evidence of a bomb or a missile. And what the board concluded was that the center wing tank, which was empty at the time, had heated to an explosive condition and the vapors in the tank were ignited by a rogue source of energy, most likely a arcing between a high generating wire and a low wire that brought energy into the center tank and exploded.
O'BRIEN: And -- go ahead. Finish your thought. Go ahead and finish your thought.
GOELZ: And that while the specific source was never identified, it was very clear that that is what happened.
O'BRIEN: Now, one of, perhaps the most simple precaution here is never to expose the fuel pump or the wires to air. In other words, keep them submerged by fuel, because without any oxygen, there's not going to be any arcing or, and a potential explosion, correct? GOELZ: That's right. And the FAA has recommended that until the pumps have been checked, that the tank remain filled.
O'BRIEN: Now, what's interesting about this to me is how it was discovered. Some pilots basically discovered that while the center fuel tank was filled with fuel, a short-circuit developed. It didn't cause any harm, but gave them some indications that there were some problems, low fuel pressure in that center tank. And the FAA has acted based upon this. Is that kind of unusual?
GOELZ: No, it's, there are systems, all of the air carriers have systems that point up shortcomings in the plane. It's reported back to the manufacturer. My guess is in this case that the majority of the carriers have already inspected this plane, these pumps. These problems are checked almost immediately when they're identified. The FAA was acting prudently to make sure that if anyone hadn't already checked them that they would be mandated to do so and that they'd have the information back.
O'BRIEN: I suppose a lay person listening to this whole discussion might say why, when they design an aircraft, do they set them up with wires inside a fuel tank. Is there a way around this and is this, perhaps, an inherent design -- I wouldn't call it, I would not want to go as far as to say it's a flaw -- but perhaps something that should be improved upon?
GOELZ: Well, that was something that the safety board looked at very carefully. The center wing tank is, in fact, it's almost a misnomer. It's an integral part of the wing box section of the plane and it's sealed, but there are a fairly good number of wires running fore and aft through this section.
The problem is it's very difficult to get into once it's been used, you've got to use respirators. There are real concerns about the explosive nature of the tank. The FAA has been examining it for over four years. One of the solutions is to inert the tank when it is empty, to pump nitrogen or some other inert gas into the tank. That's a very expensive alternative, but I think it will be relooked at after this warning that was issued on Friday.
O'BRIEN: And a final word, should this cause much concern for air travelers this morning?
GOELZ: Absolutely not. We have the safest air travel system in the country, in the world, and this is a very rare occurrence. The FAA and Boeing have acted prudently. No, people should make their flights and get there an hour early.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Goelz, thanks for spending part of your Saturday morning with us.
We appreciate you shedding some light on all this for us.
GOELZ: Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Peter Goelz, formerly NTSB managing director, joining us out of Washington.
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