Flight Recorders, Fuselage, Engines Dredged from the Deep

The NTSB has successfully completed the recovery of TransAir flight 810 this week, retrieving the remains of the Boeing 737-200 that ditched after the flight crew reported anomalies in both engines shortly after takeoff from Honolulu on July 2, 2021. The only occupants of the aircraft, the two pilots, survived. After the ditching, the majority of the plane’s wreckage came to rest on an ocean shelf about 400 feet deep. 

Flight 810 had been carrying cargo at the time, so TransAir worked with its insurance provider to recover the wreckage and salvage as much cargo as possible. The key recovery vehicle was the Eclipse Group’s Bold Horizon, an underwater research ship equipped with a remotely operated scout vehicle and underwater retrieval equipment. The barge Salta Verde was brought on station to receive the fuselage sections and ferry them to Honolulu for further study. The retrieval operation took place over multiple trips, with the engines and front landing gear first recovered, then the forward fuselage section, consisting of a 37-foot span that weighed 15,500 pounds. The final piece, the aft section, was a demanding retrieval, weighing 48,500 pounds empty. When the remote vehicle explored the interior, it found the aircraft remains still loaded with cargo, bringing the total weight closer to 60,500 pounds. The engineers and remote vehicle operators designed the correct method to bring up the section while maintaining the tail and wings during the ascent to the surface, recovering the piece largely intact. 

The NTSB coordinated its work with state and federal agencies, including the Hawaii Departments of Health, Land and Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to minimize possible threats to delicate ecosystems and sea life. Thankfully, the local whales, seals, and sea turtles did not appear to show any interest in the work, as the resident protected species observer reported no creatures were seen in the operation. 

The flight data and cockpit voice recorders will be transported to the NTSB lab in Washington where they will be cleaned, dried, downloaded, and analyzed. Investigators will pour over the engines and fuselage in order to find the root cause of the incident, to be completed in 12-24 months with a comprehensive examination of the aircraft remains. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov