Wing Ice May Have Caused Jet Crash

NEW YORK - The crash of USAir Flight 405 may have been caused by a buildup of snow or ice on the aircraft's design-flawed wings, federal investigators said yesterday.

Several pilots also speculated that LaGuardia Airport's short runways may have been a factor.

The Cleveland-bound jet, a Dutch-built Fokker F-28, crashed Sunday night during takeoff from snowy Runway 13-31, veering into Flushing Bay.

While investigators said it was too early to determine the cause, they conceded that poor weather and the airplane's wing design - factors in several other airplane disasters - could have contributed to the accident.

About 3 inches of snow had fallen Sunday night, and visibility was limited to three-quarters of a mile, officials said.

The weather made it necessary for USAir ground personnel to de-ice the plane at 8:26 p.m.

Authorities said the de-icing truck stalled, blocking the plane's departure for 20 to 30 minutes. The captain asked for a second de-icing, done at 8:59 p.m.

Yet 35 minutes passed before the craft tried to take off - more than enough time for a fatal amount of ice to build up on the plane's wings, officials said.

SHORT RUNWAYS

In addition, pilots interviewed yesterday said LaGuardia's 7,000-foot runways are too short for comfort. The safety area for planes that overshoot runways at LaGuardia is 100 feet, one-tenth the length recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration.

In a 1988 poll of 2,200 pilots, LaGuardia ranked as the country's third-most-dangerous airport, behind Los Angeles International and Washington National.

Meanwhile, the recovery operation ended last night as the last body was found amid the wreckage at 6:15 p.m., police said. The death toll was 27, while 24 were injured.

One of the survivors of Sunday's crash was Ann Sacknitz, 32, a Bellevue, Wash., native who lives in San Francisco.

She was released from a hospital yesterday after being treated for burns. Her parents, Kurt and Joanna Sacknitz of Bellevue, said she attended Sammamish High School and the University of Washington.

At the crash site, federal investigators began the arduous process of searching out what happened.

Part of the mystery may be solved when investigators listen to the airplane's two flight recorders, which were sent yesterday to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) headquarters in Washington for analysis.

Investigators are also eager to talk to co-pilot John Rachuba, said to be conscious at a hospital.

A member of the USAir de-icing crew told investigators that Rachuba repeatedly craned his neck to look at one of the wings during the de-icing process.

"We'll interview him as soon as his medical condition permits," said John Lauber, an NTSB member.

Officials acknowledged that the condition of the wings may have played a large role in the accident, as it has in other accidents.

In 1987, a Continental Airlines DC-9 jet crashed in Denver, killing 28. Officials said the plane was sprayed with de-icing fluid 23 minutes before takeoff, allowing ice to accumulate again on the wings.

There is no federal regulation on when de-icing is required. Officials said it is up to the pilot to determine when it is needed.

In addition, the Continental DC-9, like the Fokker F-28, was not equipped with slats, a control surface and safety mechanism that adds lift during takeoff and reduces the effect of ice buildup on the wing.

An NTSB report issued after a DC-9 cargo jet with ice on its wings crashed in Philadelphia in 1985 said aircraft without slats "are more sensitive to even light amounts of airfoil ice, which may not always be visibly detectable and which may accumulate during pre-takeoff taxi operations."

PLANE `WOBBLED'

Witnesses said the airplane had just begun to lift its nose from the runway when it slammed to the ground, veered sharply to the left and crashed into a hut, catapulting over an embankment. Yet pilots interviewed said it was unlikely that the plane ever left the ground. According to passenger accounts, the plane "wobbled"; it was unclear whether it was aloft.

Two of the four-member crew survived: Rachuba and flight attendant Debra Taylor. The two who died were the pilot, Capt. Wallace Majure, and flight attendant Janice King.