What Killed Joao Rodrigues?

The NTSB has released initial findings on the death of an aircraft fueler at Denver International Airport two years ago, as he was tanking up a 777.

The report sheds new light on the death of 24-year old Joao Rodrigues, an employee of ground contractor Aviation Service International Group. Rodrigues was pumping fuel from a hydrant truck connected to a buried fuel line.

The NTSB suggests the angle of the nozzle in the wing fuel port of the 777 was so extreme that it unduly stressed the port structure itself. The NTSB said evidence suggests "that a significant angular force was applied to the refueling nozzle."

Another ground-crew member watching the refueling operation that day saw the fuel hose "separate from the airplane and flap around, 'violently spraying fuel in all directions,"' according to the NTSB report. "A pilot standing nearby said that a large ball of fire enveloped the hydrant dispenser truck and much of the airplane's left wing," and he then saw the fueler, on fire, "fly off the truck," the report said.

The high wing on the 777, and the added challenges it poses in the fueling process, may have contributed to the accident. The wing on the Boeing plane is 17 feet, 6 inches high, "the highest in the commercial airline fleet," the safety board said.

"Whenever you have a higher wing, it requires more precision in performing the (fueling) task," said James Struhsaker, a Denver-based NTSB official and principal investigator on the DIA fuel-fire incident.

Boeing may come up with new recommendations for 777 fueling after the NTSB determines a "probable cause" in the accident, said spokeswoman Liz Verdier. At least 449 Boeing 777s, one of the most technically advanced planes in the world, have been delivered to airlines and aircraft leasing companies around the world.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov