SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVATION OF THE MACH/SPD TRIM AND RUDDER RATIO ADVISORIES IS AN INDICATION OF AN AIRSPEED DISCREPANCY

 757-200 TC-GEN accident after takeoff at Puerto Plata. The subject airplane crashed in the Atlantic, approximately five minutes after takeoff from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on February 6, 1996 at approximately 11:47 PM local time. The aircraft wreckage and recorders were located approximately 5 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic in 7.200 feet of water.

The final report on the accident has not yet been released by the Dominican Republic DGAC, however, on June 3, 1996m the NTSB released several recommendations as a result of the accident. Following are the NTSB recommendations:

The National Transportation safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration:

· Issue an Airworthiness Directive to require that the Boeing 757/767 Airplane Flight Manual be revised to notify pilots that the simultaneous activation of the Mach/SPD trim and rudder ratio advisories is an indication of an airspeed discrepancy
 
· Require that the Boeing commercial airplane group to modify the crew alerting system of the Boeing 757/767 to include a caution alert when an erroneous airspeed indication is detected.
 
· Require the Boeing commercial airplane group notify its Boeing 757/767 operations manual to include a detailed emergency procedure addressing the identification and elimination of an erroneous airspeed indication.
 
· Issue a flight standards information Bulletin to direct principal operations inspectors to ensure that the operating manuals of their Boeing 757/767 operators include a detailed emergency procedure addressing the identification and elimination of an erroneous airspeed indication and elimination of an erroneous airspeed indication.
 
· Issue a flight standards information Bulletin to notify principal operations inspectors of the circumstances of this accident and to have them ensure that training providers emphasize the importance of recognizing an airspeed indication malfunction during the takeoff roll.
 
· Ensure that all Boeing 757/767 training providers include an effective scenario in the flight simulator during which the student is trained to appropriately respond to the effects of a blocked pitot tube.

Boeing is presently in the process of reviewing the NTSB recommendations.