November 2, 1999
Web posted at: 8:55 p.m. EST (0155 GMT)

In this story: Two airworthiness directives proposed Crash planes built consecutively Crash debris, remains unloaded at Quonset Point RELATED STORIES, SITES

NEWPORT, Rhode Island (CNN) -- A crew member aboard EgyptAir Flight 990 reported the plane experienced thrust reverser problems coming into Los Angeles before it headed to New York, government sources told CNN on Tuesday.

Investigators are looking into that aspect as one of the possible causes of Sunday's crash that killed all 217 people aboard, the sources said.

The jetliner plummeted into the Atlantic south of Nantucket after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport en route to Cairo. A massive search and recovery mission is ongoing.

Hotlines EgyptAir information lines: In the U.S.: (800) 243-1094 Outside the U.S.: (202) 245-2244 (202) 244-1460 (202) 418-3690 FBI Information line: 1-800-473-4761    VIDEO Correspondent Miles O'Brien takes us on a training run aboard a 767 flight simulator Windows Media 28K 80K One passenger on EgyptAir 990 was a vivacious, beloved 82-year-old woman. CNN's Greg LaMotte reports. (November 2) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Rick Lockridge reports on the technology used in a deep water recovery mission Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Carl Rochelle reports on the problem with a thrust reverser on the EgyptAir Boeing 767 Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K Use the arrow buttons below to scroll through the video gallery.    Windows Media Real    28 K 80 K     ALSO Passengers and crew on EgyptAir Flight 990 Intact bodies from EgyptAir crash unlikely, shocked relatives told High-tech sleuths to work deep in ocean Deja vu for the USS Grapple     MESSAGE BOARD Message Board: Plane crashes

CNN learned Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration became concerned earlier this year about potential thrust reverser problems on Boeing 767s after discovering serious problems that could lead to pilots losing control of the aircraft in flight.

The FAA was prepared to issue two airworthiness directives warning of the need to replace or repair defective parts associated with the thrust reverser mechanism.

One defect could, if not corrected, "result in deployment of the thrust reverser in flight and consequent reduced controllability of the aircraft," an FAA document states.

The other proposed directive urges eventual replacement of the "auxiliary track assembly" of the thrust reverser. It said long-term wear and damage could lead to a "separation of a portion of the thrust reverser from the airplane during flight."

This would result in "possible rapid decompression of the airplane, reduced controllability, or reduced structural integrity of the fuselage," the document states.

The EgyptAir jetliner that crashed Sunday falls under the category of jet mentioned in both proposed directives.

Reverse thrusters were blamed for the 1991 crash of a Lauda Air 767 that crashed in Thailand in 1991, killing 127. The FAA issued a directive requiring retrofitting of equipment that would take care of the specific problem deemed to have caused that accident.

The planes involved in both crashes were built consecutively by Boeing workers who complained of fatigue and overwork shortly before going on strike in 1989.

Meanwhile, search and recovery vessels combing the crash area on Tuesday pinpointed the location of the so-called "black boxes" that could hold vital clues to the cause of the crash.

But bad weather and difficult diving conditions will delay attempts to bring the boxes to the surface for examination, a U.S. Navy spokesman said.

Capt. James Graham said "pings" -- or electronic signals -- thought to be from both the plane's flight-data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder were detected Tuesday.

"One of the two separate pingers that the Navy Mohawk has located appears to be in the center," of the debris field, Graham said.

But he said search vessels had been recalled to port because of worsening weather conditions.

Coast Guard Capt. Russ Webster said Tuesday afternoon that search and recovery teams would continue with any aspects of the recovery operation not ruled out by the weather.

"On-scene weather conditions are generally worsening. Seas are approximately 8 to 10 feet and building. I'd like to ensure the family members that we are doing everything possible to recover their loved ones and their belongings," he said.

The search is concentrated 60 miles south of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, in water some 270 feet deep.

Information on the recorders could reveal why the plane plunged 33,000 feet without warning into the sea not long after leaving Kennedy International Airport in New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board has established a command post in Newport, Rhode Island, for an investigation expected to take months and cover many areas -- from potential human error and mechanical failure to the possibility of sabotage.

Correspondents Daryn Kagan and Gary Tuchman contributed to this report.

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