Brief: In-flight gambling, entertainment system linked to Swissair crash

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998 | 2:31 a.m.

Investigators looking into the causes of the crash told the Post that all the insulation was burned off three of the four sets of wiring coming out of the system, which is located above and behind the cockpit, and said there was clear evidence of electrical arcing, or sparks.

The gambling system consists of large computer processors and recorders located above the forward part of the passenger cabin, the Post reported. Wires run from the system through the roof and walls to flat-color LCD displays on the back of each seat. Passengers can use the system to gamble, watch movies or listen to music.

The discovery has prompted Swissair to turn the system off in its other aircraft, the Post reported. However, the airline told the Post, the system "has not been identified as a cause of the accident," and indicated it might turn the system back on, depending on the outcome of the investigation.