View source for Swissair Flight 111

{{Short description|Aviation accident in 1998}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| image           = 28as - Swissair MD-11; HB-IWF@ZRH;14.07.1998 (4713082874).jpg
| alt             = 
| caption         = HB-IWF, the aircraft involved, on 14 July 1998
| date            = {{start date|1998|09|2|df=y}}
| summary         = Crashed after [[in-flight fire]]
| occurrence_type = Accident
| site            = Atlantic Ocean, 9 km (5.6 miles) southwest off [[Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]], [[Nova Scotia]], Canada
| coordinates     = {{Coord|44|24|33|N|63|58|25|W|region:CA-NS_type:landmark_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}
| aircraft_type   = [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
| aircraft_name   = ''[[Vaud]]''
| operator        = [[Swissair]]
| IATA            = SR111
| ICAO            = SWR111
| callsign        = SWISSAIR 111<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=Aviation Safety Network > Accident investigation > CVR / FDR > Transcripts > ATC Transcript Swissair Flight 111 - 02 SEP 1998." |url=https://mail.aviation-safety.net/investigation/transcripts/atc_sr111.php | access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Aviation-safety.net}}</ref>
| tail_number     = HB-IWF
| origin          = [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]<br />[[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
| destination     = [[Geneva Airport]]<br />[[Geneva]], Switzerland
| occupants       = 229
| passengers      = 215
| crew            = 14
| fatalities      = 229<!-- don't need to add "(all)", we already have survivors=0 -->
| survivors       = 0
}}
[[File:Swissair 111 crash location.png|thumb|Approximate location of the crash]]
'''Swissair Flight 111''' ('''SR111/SWR111''') was a scheduled international passenger flight from [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] in [[New York City]], United States, to [[Cointrin Airport]] in [[Geneva]], Switzerland. The flight was also a [[codeshare]] flight with [[Delta Air Lines]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/09/03/swissair-jet-crashes-off-nova-scotia/0ad1652f-1c06-4f7d-ac5b-53449e349ce8/ |title=SWISSAIR JET CRASHES OFF NOVA SCOTIA |last=Pearlstein |first=Steven |date=3 September 1998 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref> On 2 September 1998, the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] performing this flight, registration HB-IWF, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of [[Halifax Stanfield International Airport]] at the entrance to [[St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia|St. Margarets Bay]], [[Nova Scotia]], Canada. The crash site was {{convert|8|km|mi nmi|0}} from shore, roughly equidistant from the small fishing and tourist communities of [[Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]] and [[Bayswater, Nova Scotia|Bayswater]]. All 215 passengers and 14 crew members on board the plane were killed, making the crash the deadliest accident in the history of [[Swissair]] and the deadliest accident involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. It is also the second-deadliest aviation accident to occur in Canada, behind [[Arrow Air Flight 1285R]].

The search and rescue response, crash recovery operation and investigation by the [[government of Canada]] took more than four years and cost [[Canadian dollar|CA$]]57&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/aircrash/dissection.html |publisher=PBS.org |title=Nova: Crash of Flight 111 |access-date=5 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060912013037/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/aircrash/dissection.html |archive-date=12 September 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> The investigation carried out by the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (TSB) concluded that flammable material used in the aircraft's structure allowed a fire to spread beyond the control of the [[flight crew]], resulting in the crash of the aircraft. Several wide-ranging recommendations were made which were incorporated into newer US [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) standards.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report">{{Cite web |date=27 March 2003 |title=Aviation Investigation Report, In-Flight Fire Leading to Collision with Water, Swissair Transport Limited McDonnell Douglas MD-11 HB-IWF Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia 5 nm SW 2 September 1998 |url=https://www.tsb.gc.ca/sites/default/files/rapports-reports/aviation/A98H0003/eng/a98h0003.pdf <!--|url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= -->|access-date=16 January 2016 |publisher=[[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] |id=A98H0003}}</ref>{{rp|253}}

== Background ==

=== Aircraft ===
The aircraft involved, manufactured in 1991, was a seven-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and [[Aircraft registration|registered]] as HB-IWF.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{Rp||page=21}} The aircraft was powered by three [[Pratt & Whitney]] [[Pratt & Whitney PW4000|PW4462]] turbofan engines and the aircraft had logged 36,041 airframe hours before the accident.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|21-22}} It bore the title of ''[[Vaud]]''.<ref name="cockpit2013">{{cite journal |title=SR111 – Die Tragödie der Swissair |trans-title=
SR111 – The Tragedy of Swissair |journal=Cockpit |date=September 2013 |issue=9 |pages=14–16 |url=https://www.cockpit.aero/fileadmin/seiteninhalt/magazin/2013/web_cockpit_09_2013.pdf |access-date=11 February 2025 |language=de}}</ref> The cabin was configured with 241&nbsp;passenger seats. First and business class seats were equipped with in-seat [[in-flight entertainment]] (IFE) systems from Interactive Flight Technologies.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Did Game System Doom Flight 111? |url=https://www.wired.com/1998/10/did-game-system-doom-flight-111/ |magazine=Wired |via=Reuters |date=30 October 1998}}</ref><ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{Rp|10}}

The in-flight entertainment system was the first of its kind equipped on the aircraft.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thompson/Washington |first1=Mark |title=Playing Deadly Games? |url=https://time.com/archive/6733961/playing-deadly-games/ |access-date=27 March 2025 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=9 November 1998}}</ref> It allowed the first and business class passengers to select their own movies and games, and to [[gambling|gamble]]. The system was installed in business class one year before the incident, between 21 August and 9 September 1997. It was installed in first class five months later, in February 1998, due to delivery delays.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp||page=43-45}}

=== Crew ===
In command was 49-year-old [[Pilot in command|Captain]] Urs Zimmermann.<ref name="pilotswife"/> At the time of the accident, he had logged approximately 10,800 hours of total flying time, of which 900 hours were logged in the MD-11. He was also an instructor pilot for the MD-11. Before his career with Swissair, he was a fighter pilot in the [[Swiss Air Force]] from 1966 to 1970. Zimmermann was described as a friendly person with professional skills, who always worked with exactness and precision.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|5-6}} Zimmermann was due to turn 50 the day after the accident.<ref name="pilotswife">{{Cite web |title=The sr111 pilot's wife |url=http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/sr111/thepilotswife.html |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=www.iasa.com.au |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416021427/http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/sr111/thepilotswife.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[first officer (aviation)|first officer]], 36-year-old Stefan Löw, had logged approximately 4,800 hours of total flying time, including 230 hours on the MD-11.<ref name="cockpit2013"/><ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{Rp|page=5}} He was an instructor on the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-80]] and the [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]]. From 1982 to 1990, Löw had been a pilot in the Swiss Air Force.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp||page=7}} The cabin crew comprised a [[Flight attendant#Purser|maître de cabine]] (purser) and eleven&nbsp;[[flight attendant]]s. All crew members on board Flight 111 were qualified, certified, and trained in accordance with Swiss regulations under the [[Joint Aviation Authorities]] (JAA).<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|7}}

== Flight timeline ==
[[File:Peggys Cove Nova Scotia 01.jpg|thumb|Swissair Flight 111 crashed {{cvt|8|km|mi|0}} off the coast of [[Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]]. Pictured is the community's iconic [[Peggys Point Lighthouse]] in 2005, with [[St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia|St. Margarets Bay]] seen below the lighthouse on the right.]]
Flight 111 took off from [[New York City]]'s [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] at 20:18 [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]] (00:18 UTC) on 2 September 1998.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|1}} From 20:33 – 20:47 EDT (00:33 to 00:47 UTC), the aircraft experienced a [[Communications blackout|radio blackout]] for approximately thirteen minutes, which was later found to be caused by communication radio tuning errors.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|183}}

At 22:10 [[Atlantic Time Zone|ADT]] (01:10 UTC, 52 minutes after takeoff), while flying over [[Yarmouth, Nova Scotia|Yarmouth]], [[Nova Scotia]], the flight crew detected an odour in the [[cockpit]] and determined it to be smoke from the [[air conditioning]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://halifax.citynews.ca/2018/09/02/20-years-later-remembering-swissair-111-1031347/ |title=20 years later : Remembering Swissair 111 |publisher=City News |author=Meghan Groff |date=2 September 2016}}</ref> Four minutes later, the odour returned and smoke became visible, prompting the pilots to make a "[[pan-pan]]" radio call to [[Moncton]] [[air traffic control]] (ATC), the [[area control center]] (ACC) station in charge of air traffic over Nova Scotia. The pan-pan call indicated that there was an urgency due to smoke in the cockpit but did not declare an emergency as denoted by a "[[mayday]]" call. The crew requested a diversion to [[Logan International Airport|Boston]] ({{convert|234|nmi|km mi}} away) before accepting Moncton ATC's offer of radar vectors to the closer [[Halifax Stanfield International Airport|Halifax International Airport]] in [[Enfield, Nova Scotia]], {{convert|66|nmi|mi km|abbr=out}} away.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|1–2}}

At 22:18 ADT (01:18 UTC), Moncton ATC handed over traffic control of the plane to Halifax ATC, which was in charge of controlling traffic in and out of Halifax International Airport. Upon being advised by Halifax ATC that they were {{convert|30|nmi|mi km|round=5}} from Halifax airport, the crew requested more flight distance to allow the aircraft to descend safely from its altitude of {{Convert|21000|ft|m|abbr=out}} at the time. The crew then requested to [[Jettison (aviation)|dump fuel]] to reduce their weight for landing. Halifax thus vectored the plane south toward [[St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia|St. Margaret's Bay]],<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|2–3}} where it was safe for the aircraft to dump fuel while remaining within {{convert|40|nmi|mi km|round=5|abbr=out}} of the airport.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|3}}

[[File:Swissair Flight 111 final flight path.png|thumb|Final flight path of Swissair Flight 111]]
In accordance with the Swissair checklist "Smoke/fumes of unknown origin", the flight crew shut off power to the cabin using the "CABIN BUS" switch, which also turned off the recirculating fans in the cabin's ceiling. This allowed the fire to spread to the cockpit, eventually shutting off power to the aircraft's [[autopilot]].<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|243}} At 22:24:28 ADT (01:24:28 UTC), the crew informed Halifax that "we now must fly manually", followed by an emergency declaration. Ten seconds later, the crew declared an emergency again, saying "...and we are declaring emergency now, Swissair one eleven"; this was the last transmission received from Flight 111.<ref name="cvr980902">{{cite web |url=http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cvr980902.htm |title=Air traffic control transcript for Swissair 111 |date=2 September 1998 |website=PlaneCrashInfo.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621132915/http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cvr980902.htm |archive-date=21 June 2016 |access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref>

The aircraft [[flight data recorder]] stopped operating at 22:25:40 ADT (01:25:40 UTC), followed one second later by the [[cockpit voice recorder]]. The aircraft's [[transponder]] briefly resumed transmission of [[Secondary surveillance radar|secondary radar]] returns from 22:25:50 to 22:26:04 ADT (01:25:50 to 01:26:04 UTC), at which time the aircraft's altitude was {{convert|9,700|ft|m}}. After this, the aircraft could be tracked only through [[primary radar]], which does not provide altitude information.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|244}}

The fire soon spread further and disabled multiple critical flight instruments. It is believed by many that Captain Zimmerman got up out of his seat and tried to fight the now visible fire.

Engine 2 was shut down by First Officer Löw approximately one minute prior to the time of impact. The shutdown of Engine 2 would have had little or no adverse effect on aircraft controllability. With Captain Zimmermann likely dead or incapacitated by fire and smoke, in a smoke-filled cockpit, and with almost no flight instruments and little to no view outside, it is possible that Löw became [[spatial disorientation|spatially disoriented]] and as a result, flew into the sea. Another possibility is that while attempting to see outside the cockpit windows, Löw inadvertently pushed the control column forward, thus resulting in a descent and eventual impact with the water. <ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|246}}

At 22:31:18 ADT (01:31:18 UTC), Flight 111 struck the ocean at an estimated speed of {{Convert|345|mph|km/h m/s kn|abbr=}}. The impact time also coincides with [[seismography|seismographic]] recorders at Halifax and Moncton which detected a seismic event at the time. The collision with the water decelerated the aircraft with approximately 350&nbsp;''[[g-force|g]]'', causing it to disintegrate instantly.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|116}} The location of the crash was identified as approximately 44°24′33″N 63°58′25″W.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/emergency/background/location_debris_field.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030405020609/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/emergency/background/location_debris_field.asp |archive-date=5 April 2003 |title=Location of debris field |publisher=TSB |via=internet archive}}</ref>

==Victims==
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
!colspan=4|Final tally of passenger nationalities{{efn|Including passengers with dual citizens listed below}}
|-
!rowspan=1|Nationality||colspan=1|Passengers||colspan=1|Crew||colspan=1|Total
|-bgcolor=ccccff
|-valign=top
|[[Afghanistan]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Canada]]||3||0||3
|-valign=top
|Canada and [[Morocco]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[China]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Egypt]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[France]]||41||0||41
|-valign=top
|France and [[United Kingdom]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|France and [[United States]]||2||0||2
|-valign=top
|[[Germany]]||1||0||1
|-valign8=top
|[[Greece]] and United States||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|Greece||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[India]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Iran]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|Iran and United States||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Israel]] and [[Switzerland]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Italy]]||3||0||3
|-valign=top
|[[Mexico]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Russia]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Saudi Arabia]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|Switzerland||31||13||44
|-valign=top
|Switzerland and [[Netherlands]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|Switzerland and United Kingdom||2||0||2
|-valign=top
|Switzerland and United States||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|[[Spain]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|United Kingdom||3||0||3
|-valign=top
|United Kingdom and United States||2||0||2
|-valign=top
|United States||110||1||111
|-valign=top
|[[Serbia and Montenegro|Yugoslavia]]||1||0||1
|-valign=top
|'''Total'''||'''215'''||'''14'''||'''229'''
|}<!--Assuming that "Spanne, Per, 53, Grenoble, France, and Shoreham, New York" = dual citizen--> <!--British are listed under "England," "Britain," and "Great Britain"--> <!--Two Swiss are listed as "Geneva" without "Switzerland"--> <!--Many USA people are listed by state-->
There were 132 Americans (including one employee each from [[Delta Air Lines]] and [[United Airlines]]), 41 Swiss (including the 13 crew members), 30 French, 3 British, 4 Canadian, 3 Italian, 2 Greek, 2 Lebanese, 1 each from Afghanistan, China, Germany, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, [[St. Kitts and Nevis]],<ref>St. Kitts and Nevis nationality was estimated by Swiss Air on 4 September 1998 based on [[Saint Kitts and Nevis passport|passports]] of ticketholders, but was not listed as a nationality of any of the passengers in the list of names published 7 September 1998. See CNN citations at end of this section.</ref> Mexico, Sweden and [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], and 4 other passengers on board.<ref name="FromEuropeAndNewYork2">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9809/04/swissair.crash.01/ |title=From Europe and New York, grieving families head to crash site |date=4 September 1998 |website=CNN.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112103534/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9809/04/swissair.crash.01/ |archive-date=12 November 2007 |access-date=21 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="CNN12">{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9809/07/swissair.victims.list/index.html |title=Names of Swissair crash victims |date=7 September 1998 |work=CNN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041225162247/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9809/07/swissair.victims.list/index.html |archive-date=25 December 2004 |access-date=24 November 2006}}</ref> Epidemiologists [[Jonathan Mann (physician)|Jonathan Mann]] and [[Mary Lou Clements-Mann]], both prominent researchers of [[HIV/AIDS]] and a married couple, died in the crash.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cimons |first=Marlene |date=1998-09-04 |title=Crash Claims 2 AIDS Crusaders |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-04-mn-19450-story.html |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wehrwein |first=Peter |date=September 1998 |title=Jonathan Mann and Mary Lou Clements-Mann killed in airplane crash |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)60021-9 |journal=The Lancet |volume=352 |issue=9131 |pages=888 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(05)60021-9 |s2cid=54408582 |issn=0140-6736|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plane Crash Kills Two Prominent AIDS Researchers |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/plane-crash-kills-two-prominent-aids-researchers |website=science.org |doi=10.1126/article.39070 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Johns Hopkins Gazette: September 8, 1998 |url=https://pages.jh.edu/gazette/julsep98/sep0898/08obit.html |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=pages.jh.edu}}</ref> Joseph LaMotta, son of boxing legend [[Jake LaMotta]], also died. The LaMotta family later sued Swissair for his death.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/168178.stm |title=Americas Boxing champ sues over plane crash son |work=BBC News |date=September 10, 1998 |access-date=June 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ex-boxer's son, prince among dead |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/09/05/ex-boxer-s-son-prince-among-dead/ |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref>

== Post-crash response ==

=== Search and rescue operation ===
The [[search and rescue]] (SAR) operation was code-named ''Operation Persistence'' and was launched immediately by [[Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax]] (JRCC Halifax).<ref name="Veterans Affairs Canada">{{cite web |title=Operation Persistence – Swissair Flight 111 recovery efforts |url=https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/caf-operations/service-in-canada/operation-persistence |website=www.veterans.gc.ca |publisher=[[Veterans Affairs Canada]] |access-date=10 February 2025 |language=en-CA |date=21 July 2023}}</ref> The search and rescue operation consisted of 400 [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] personnel,<ref name="Veterans Affairs Canada" /> 
the [[Royal Canadian Navy]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dubreuil |first1=Brian |title=Swissair Flight 111 |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/swissair-flight-111\ |publisher=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |access-date=10 February 2025}}</ref> 700 [[Canadian Army]] personnel, the [[Canadian Coast Guard]] (CCG), [[Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary]] (CCGA) resources, and 450 [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] and more than 2400 [[Canadian Armed Forces]] (CAF) personnel who were participating as part of ''Operation Homage''.<ref name="Veterans Affairs Canada" /><ref>{{cite web |title=RCMP Identification Team – Operation Homage |url=https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories/rcmp-identification-team |publisher=[[Veterans Affairs Canada]] |access-date=12 February 2025 |date=21 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{Rp|77}} The [[United States Navy]] and the Red Cross were also involved in the operation.<ref name="Veterans Affairs Canada" />

Local fishermen and boaters, many of whom were CCGA volunteers, were the first rescue resources to approach the crash site,<ref name="Veterans Affairs Canada" /> which were mostly privately owned fishing boats operating from [[Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]] and [[Bayswater, Nova Scotia|Bayswater]], as well as other harbours on St. Margaret's Bay and the [[Aspotogan Peninsula]]. They were soon joined by the [[CCGS Sambro|CCGS ''Sambro'']].<ref name="Sarscene">{{cite journal |title=Winter, 1998 |journal=Sarscene |volume=8 |issue=4 |url=http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/ss/magazine/vol8_4/winter98.htm |access-date=10 February 2025 |publisher=[[National Search and Rescue Secretariat]] |location=[[Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada |format=Paper |issn=1183-5036}}</ref>

The crash site's proximity to Halifax placed it within one hour's sailing time of ships docked at Canada's largest naval base, [[CFB Halifax]], and one of the largest [[List of Canadian Coast Guard Bases and Stations|CCG bases in Canada]], the CCG Regional Headquarters in [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia|Dartmouth]]. Calls went out immediately and ships sailed directly to St. Margaret's Bay.<ref name="tridentnews.ca">{{cite news |url=http://tridentnews.ca/Portals/0/pdfarchives/2008/sept8_2008.pdf |title=Ceremonies mark a decade since Swissair Flight 111 crash |author=Beaton |first=Virginia |date=8 September 2008 |work=Trident |access-date=29 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327052254/http://tridentnews.ca/Portals/0/pdfarchives/2008/sept8_2008.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2012 |issue=8 |volume=42}}</ref>

The provincial ambulance service, [[Emergency Health Services]] (EHS), received word of the crash at 22:39 AT, and ordered 21 emergency units from Halifax, the [[Southern Nova Scotia|South Shore]], and the [[Annapolis Valley]] to respond. An EHS helicopter was also sent to the crash site, and the [[Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre]] in Halifax was put on emergency alert. The emergency health services were stood down around 3:30 AT the next morning, as expectations of finding survivors diminished.<ref name="nsefforts">{{cite web |title=N.S. Efforts in Swissair Crash Aftermath |url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=19980903002 |publisher=Province of Nova Scotia |date=3 September 1998}}</ref>

The land search, including shoreline searching, was the responsibility of [[Halifax Regional Search and Rescue]]. The organization was responsible for all ground operations including military operations and other ground search and rescue teams.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://halifaxsar.ca/about/ |title=About – Halifax Search & Rescue |website=halifaxsar.ca |access-date=29 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129195356/https://halifaxsar.ca/about/ |archive-date=29 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="margin:auto; margin:1em; margin-top:0; margin:auto;"
|-
! colspan="2" |List of vessels involved in the search and rescue actions
|-
|The following are [[ship]]s that took part in the search and rescue operation after the accident.
<blockquote>

;CCG ships

{{ship|CCGS|Hudson}}, {{ship|CCGS|Mary Hichens}}, {{ship|CCGS|Simon Fraser}}, {{ship|CCGS|Earl Grey||2}}, {{ship|CCGS|Matthew}}, and {{ship|CCGS|Sambro}} (initial tasking – first government vessel on scene)<ref>[http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/ss/magazine/vol8_4/winter98.htm ''SARSCENE'' Winter 1998] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225194803/http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/ss/magazine/vol8_4/winter98.htm |date=25 February 2007 }}</ref>{{deadlink|date=March 2025}}

The ships were assisted by several CCG helicopters (model [[MBB Bo 105]]), [[Rigid-hulled inflatable boat|RHIBs]], and auxiliary vessels.

;CF warships

{{HMCS|Kingston|MM 700|6}}, {{HMCS|Preserver|AOR 510|6}}, {{HMCS|Ville de Québec|FFH 332|6}}, {{HMCS|Halifax|FFH 330|6}}, {{HMCS|Glace Bay|MM 701|6}}, {{HMCS|Goose Bay|MM 707|6}}, {{HMCS|Moncton|MM 708|6}}, {{HMCS|Anticosti|MSA 110|6}}<ref name="tridentnews.ca" />

;CF submarines

{{HMCS|Okanagan|S74|6}}<ref name="tridentnews.ca" />

;CF auxiliary vessels

{{ship|CFAV|Sechelt|YDT 610|6}}, {{ship|CFAV|Granby|YDT 12|6}}, {{ship|CFAV|Glenevis|YTB 642|6}}<ref name="tridentnews.ca" />

;CF aircraft

[[CH-113 Labrador]] SAR helicopters, flown by 413 TRS<br />
[[Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King|CH-124 Sea King]] Anti-Submarine helicopters, flown by 423 MHS and 406 MOTS

[[CP-140 Aurora]] ASW aircraft flown by [[405 Long Range Patrol Squadron]]

HMCS ''Preserver'' was assigned as the on-scene commander of Operation Persistence and had authority over all aircraft and vessels within the area surrounding the crash site.

</blockquote>
|}

=== Search and recovery operation ===
By the afternoon of 3 September, it was apparent that there were no survivors from the crash.<ref>{{cite news |title=Un avion de la Swissair s'abime en mer. Crash du New York-Genève au large du Canada: 229 morts. |trans-title=A Swissair plane crashes at sea. New York-Geneva crash off the coast of Canada: 229 dead. |url=https://www.liberation.fr/planete/1998/09/04/un-avion-de-la-swissair-s-abime-en-mer-crash-du-new-york-geneve-au-large-du-canada-229-morts_247472/ |access-date=4 February 2025 |work=[[Libération]] |date=4 September 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701233304/https://www.liberation.fr/planete/1998/09/04/un-avion-de-la-swissair-s-abime-en-mer-crash-du-new-york-geneve-au-large-du-canada-229-morts_247472/ |archive-date=1 July 2017 |language=fr |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> On the morning of 4 September, JRCC Halifax de-tasked dedicated SAR assets and the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (TSB) were given control of the scene.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Reaney |first=Jennifer |date=Winter 1998 |title=Learning from a Tragedy |url=http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/ss/magazine/vol8_4/winter98.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225194803/http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/ss/magazine/vol8_4/winter98.htm |archive-date=25 February 2007 |magazine=SARSCENE |location=Ottawa, Ontario |publisher=National Search and Rescue Secretariat |issn=1183-5036 |volume=8 |issue=4 |access-date=4 February 2025}}</ref>

The aircraft broke up on impact with the water and most of the debris sank to the ocean floor (a depth of {{convert|55|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=comma}}). Some debris was found floating in the crash area and over the following weeks debris washed up on the nearby shorelines.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|77}}

The initial focus of the recovery was on finding and identifying human remains and on recovering the [[flight recorder]]s. As the force of impact was "in the order of at least 350 [[g-force|''g'']]",<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|104}} the aircraft was fragmented and the environmental conditions only allowed the recovery of human remains along with the aircraft wreckage.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|103–105}}
Only one of the victims was visually identifiable. Eventually, 147 were identified by fingerprint, dental records, and X-ray comparisons. The remaining 81 were identified through DNA tests.<ref>{{cite book |author=Butler, John Marshall |title=Forensic DNA Typing: biology & technology behind STR markers |publisher=Academic Press, San Diego |year=2001 |isbn=0-12-147951-X}}</ref>{{rp|264}}

[[File:Hudson03.jpg|thumb|right|[[CCGS Hudson|CCGS ''Hudson'']] searches for Swissair Flight 111 debris on 14 September, with {{HMCS|Anticosti|MSA 110|6}} (centre), {{USS|Grapple|ARS-53|6}} (right), and a {{sclass|Halifax|frigate}} (rear).]]

With [[Canadian Armed Forces|CAF]] divers (navy clearance divers, port inspection divers, ship's team divers, and Army combat divers) working on the recovery, a request was made by the [[Government of Canada]] to the [[Federal government of the United States|Government of the United States]] for a larger dedicated [[Marine salvage|salvage]] recovery vessel. {{USS|Grapple|ARS-53|6}} was tasked to the recovery effort, arriving from [[Philadelphia]] on 9 September. Among ''Grapple''{{'}}s crew were 32 salvage divers. Additionally, the USS ''Grapple'' welcomed two teams of Canadian Navy Clearance Divers that flew across Canada from Fleet Diving Unit (FDU) Pacific.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=286 |title=U.S. Navy Assists With Recovery of Swissair Flight 111 |author=Kettenhofen |first1=Suzette |last2=Digital Information Specialist, Technology Integration, Navy Office of Information |date=10 September 1998 |publisher=Navy.mil |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001165502/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=286 |archive-date=1 October 2012 |access-date=29 July 2013}}</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20121001165502/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=286 U.S. Navy assists with recovery of Swissair Flight 111]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121001165502/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=286 Archive]) [[United States Navy]]. Retrieved on 6 September 2012.</ref>
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 980914-N-8492C-001.jpg|thumb|[[USS Grapple (ARS-53)]] assisted in the underwater search phase of the Swissair Flight 111 crash near [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]. ]]

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) were found by the submarine HMCS ''Okanagan'' using sonar to detect the underwater locator beacon signals and were quickly retrieved by Canadian Navy divers (the FDR on 6 September and the CVR on 11 September 1998). Both had stopped recording when the aircraft lost electrical power at approximately {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, 5 minutes and 37 seconds before impact.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|74}}

The recovery operation was guided by the TSB with resources from the Canadian Forces, Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other agencies. The area was surveyed using route survey sonar, laser line scanners, and [[remotely operated vehicle]]s (ROVs) to locate items. After being located, the debris was then recovered (initially by divers and ROVs, later by dredging and trawling).<ref>Wiggins, T.W. [http://www.noac-national.ca/article/wiggins/minorwarvesselinvolvementwithoperationpersistence_bytmwiggins.html ''Minor War Vessel Involvement''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112112229/http://www.noac-national.ca/article/wiggins/minorwarvesselinvolvementwithoperationpersistence_bytmwiggins.html|date=12 November 2007}}</ref>
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 980913-N-3093M-012.jpg|thumb|left|After completing 40 minutes of recovery work on the ocean floor, U.S. Navy divers from Mobile Diving Salvage Unit Two are raised to the deck of the [[USS Grapple (ARS-53)]].]]

On 2 October 1998, the TSB initiated a heavy lift operation to retrieve the major portion of the wreckage from the deep water before the expected winter storms began. By 21 October, an estimated 27% of the wreckage was recovered.<ref>[http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/fact_sheets/A98H0003/chronology_a98h0003.asp Transportation Safety Board] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730035740/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/media/fact_sheets/A98H0003/chronology_a98h0003.asp |date=30 July 2008 }}</ref> At that point in the investigation, the crash was generally believed to have been caused by faulty wiring in the cockpit after the [[In-flight entertainment|IFE]] system started to overheat. The TSB released its preliminary report on 30 August 2000 and the final report in 2003.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|298}}
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 980915-N-8492C-504.jpg|thumb|left|Crew members of the [[USS Grapple (ARS-53)]] hooking up a basket containing debris from the crash site.]]

The final phase of wreckage recovery employed the ship {{ship||Queen of the Netherlands|ship|2}} to [[dredge]] the remaining aircraft debris. It concluded in December 1999 with 98% of the aircraft retrieved: approximately {{convert|279000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of aircraft debris and {{convert|40000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of cargo.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|77}}

=== Response to victims' families and friends ===
JFK Airport used the [[JFK Ramada Plaza]] Hotel to house relatives and friends of the victims of the crash, due to the hotel's central location relative to the airport.<ref name="AdamsonPhilly">Adamson, April. "[http://articles.philly.com/1998-09-04/news/25757670_1_twa-flight-twa-disaster-family-members 229 Victims Knew Jet Was In Trouble Airport Inn Becomes Heartbreak Hotel Again] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234650/http://articles.philly.com/1998-09-04/news/25757670_1_twa-flight-twa-disaster-family-members |date=3 March 2016 }}." ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]''. 4 September 1998. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.</ref> [[Jerome Hauer]], the head of the emergency management task force of [[New York City]], praised the swift actions of [[Swissair]] and codeshare partner Delta Air Lines in responding to the accident; he had criticized [[Trans World Airlines]] in its response to the [[TWA Flight 800]] crash in 1996.<ref>"[https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/09/04/airlines-act-swiftly-to-help-relatives-new-us-law-required-detailed-emergency-plan-swissair-crash/ Airlines act swiftly to help relatives New U.S. law required detailed emergency plan] ." ''[[Boston Globe]]'' at ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''. 4 September 1998. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.</ref>

== Investigation ==
=== Identification of victims ===
The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|RCMP]] medical examiners positively identified most of the bodies within ten weeks of the accident. Due to extreme impact forces, only one body was identifiable by sight. [[DNA#DNA profiling|DNA profiling]] was used to identify approximately one hundred bodies. At the time, it was "the largest DNA identification project ever undertaken in Canada".<ref name="cmaj2">{{cite journal |last=Robb |first=Nancy |date=26 January 1999 |title=229 people, 15 000 body parts: pathologists help solve Swissair 111's grisly puzzles |url=http://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/160/2/241.full.pdf |url-status=live |journal=[[Canadian Medical Association Journal]] |volume=160 |issue=2 |pages=241–243 |pmid=9951448 |pmc=1230000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508191102/http://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/160/2/241.full.pdf |archive-date=8 May 2018 |access-date=10 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Derek |title=Transformative technology: how the emerging science of DNA provided answers |url=https://rcmp.ca/en/gazette/transformative-technology-emerging-science-dna-provided-answers |publisher=[[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] |access-date=11 February 2025 |language=en-CA |date=3 June 2024}}</ref> The RCMP contacted relatives of victims to request medical histories and dental records. They were also asked to provide blood samples for genetic matching in the DNA identification of the victims. About 90 bodies were identified by the medical examiners using dental records; owing to the large number of [[wiktionary:antemortem|ante-mortem]] (before death) dental X-rays available to the examiners, these bodies were identified by late October 1998. Fingerprints and ante-mortem X-rays were used to identify around 30 bodies.<ref name="cmaj2" />

=== Examination of wreckage ===
[[File:Swissair 111 debris.jpg|thumb|Cargo door and other recovered debris]]
An estimated 2&nbsp;million pieces of debris were recovered and brought ashore for inspection at a secure handling facility in a marine industrial park at [[Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia|Sheet Harbour]], where small material was hand inspected by teams of RCMP officers looking for human remains, personal effects, and valuables from the aircraft's cargo hold. The material was then transported to CFB Shearwater, where it was sorted and inspected by over 350&nbsp;investigators from multiple organizations and companies, including the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (TSB), the US [[National Transportation Safety Board]], the US [[Federal Aviation Administration]], the Swiss [[Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (Switzerland)|Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau]], [[Boeing Commercial Airplanes|Boeing]], Pratt & Whitney, [[Air Line Pilots Association, International|Air Line Pilots Association]], and [[Swissair]].<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|80}}<ref>TSB [http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/02sti/16researchandinvestigation/testsandresearch.asp#recoveryprocedures STI-098] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827115639/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/02sti/16researchandinvestigation/testsandresearch.asp#recoveryprocedures |date=27 August 2009 }} Supporting Technical Information</ref>

As each piece of wreckage was brought in, it was carefully cleaned with fresh water, sorted, and weighed. The item was then placed in a specific area of a hangar at CFB Shearwater, based on a grid system representing the various sections of the plane. All items not considered significant to the crash were stored with similar items in large boxes. When a box was full, it was weighed and moved to a custom-built temporary structure (J-Hangar) on a discontinued runway for long-term storage. If deemed significant to the investigation, the item was documented, photographed, and kept in the active examination hangar.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|197–198}} Particular attention was paid to any item showing heat damage, burns, or other unusual marks. The front {{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}} of the aircraft, from the front of the cockpit to near the front of the first-class passenger cabin, was reconstructed. Information gained by this allowed investigators to determine the severity and limits of the fire damage, its possible origins, and progression.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|199}}
[[File:Swissair Flight 111 wreckage.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of the wreckage]]
The lack of flight recorder data for the last six minutes of the flight added significant complexity to the investigation and was a major factor in its lengthy duration. The TSB team had to reconstruct the final six minutes entirely from the physical evidence. The investigation became the largest and most expensive transport accident investigation in Canadian history, costing CA$57&nbsp;million (US$48.5&nbsp;million) over five years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2893019.stm |work=BBC News |title=Fire downed Swissair 111 |date=27 March 2003 |access-date=24 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223215759/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2893019.stm |archive-date=23 February 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

=== Cockpit recordings ===

The cockpit voice recorder used a {{convert|1/4|in|mm|0|adj=on}} recording tape that operated on a 30-minute loop. It therefore retained only that half-hour of the flight before the recorders failed, six minutes before the crash.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|73–74}} The CVR recording and transcript were covered by a strict privilege under section 28 of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act<ref>{{cite web |title=section 28 of the ''Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act'' |publisher=Canadian Legal Information Institute |url=http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-23.4/sec28.html |access-date=10 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019101150/http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-23.4/sec28.html |archive-date=19 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> and thus were not publicly disclosed, although the air traffic control recordings are less strictly privileged: section 29 of the same act provides only that they may not be used in certain legal proceedings.<ref>{{cite web |title=section 29 of the ''Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act'' |publisher=Canadian Legal Information Institute |url=http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-23.4/sec29.html |access-date=10 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019101154/http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-23.4/sec29.html |archive-date=19 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The air traffic control transcripts were released within days of the crash in 1998<ref name="CVR Transcript">{{cite web |title=ATC transcript Swissair Flight 111 – 2 SEP 1998 |website=Aviation Safety Network |url=http://aviation-safety.net/investigation/cvr/transcripts/atc_sr111.php |access-date=27 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917112158/http://aviation-safety.net/investigation/cvr/transcripts/atc_sr111.php |archive-date=17 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the air traffic control audio was released in May 2007,<ref>[http://www3.thestar.com/cgi-bin/star_static.cgi?section=top&page=/Videos/070521_cp_swissair.html the Toronto Star] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204010936/http://www3.thestar.com/cgi-bin/star_static.cgi?section=top&page=%2FVideos%2F070521_cp_swissair.html |date=4 February 2016 }} (accessed 25 May 2007).</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cp.org/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=n052138A&newsitemid=26203019 |access-date=25 May 2007 |author=Dean Beeby |title=Swissair recordings revive horrifying drama of deadly 1998 tragedy |work=Canadian Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928033423/http://www.cp.org/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=n052138A&newsitemid=26203019 |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/22/america/NA-GEN-Canada-Swissair-Crash.php |access-date=25 May 2007 |title=Swissair crash recordings revive drama of one of Canada's worst aviation disasters |date=22 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029033423/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/22/america/NA-GEN-Canada-Swissair-Crash.php |archive-date=29 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> following a ruling by the [[Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)|Federal Court of Appeal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/2006/2006fca157/2006fca157.html |title=''Canada (Information Commissioner) v. Canada (Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board)'' 2006 FCA 157 |access-date=22 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628031853/http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/2006/2006fca157/2006fca157.html |archive-date=28 June 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/05/22/doomed_flights_tapes_released.html |title=Doomed flight's tapes released |author=Beeby |first=Dean |date=22 May 2007 |work=Toronto Star |access-date=25 May 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524045613/http://www.thestar.com/News/article/216270 |archive-date=24 May 2007}}</ref> Several key minutes of the air traffic control audio can be found on the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' web site.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www3.thestar.com/cgi-bin/star_static.cgi?section=top&page=/Videos/070521_cp_swissair.html |access-date=25 May 2007 |title=Canadian Press video of last minutes of Swissair flight 111 |format=QuickTime |location=Toronto |work=The Star |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929170701/http://www3.thestar.com/cgi-bin/star_static.cgi?section=top&page=%2FVideos%2F070521_cp_swissair.html |archive-date=29 September 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1999, an article<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carley |first=William M. |date=21 January 1999 |title=Swissair Pilots Differed On How to Avoid Crash |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB916877132209838000 |access-date=12 July 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' alleged that the pilots disagreed about whether to dump fuel or descend straight to Halifax. Based on internal TSB summaries of the CVR recording, the ''Journal'' claimed that co-pilot Löw suggested steps aimed at a quick landing, which were ignored or rejected by Captain Zimmermann. Swissair and Canadian investigators would not comment on the accuracy of the reporting, with a TSB spokesman deeming it "a reporter's interpretation of a summary document of what might have been" on the CVR.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swissair Pilots May Have Disagreed |url=https://apnews.com/b73bc7b3f3fa159107b38ddb0d984e0d |access-date=12 July 2020 |website=AP NEWS| url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200712210729/https://apnews.com/b73bc7b3f3fa159107b38ddb0d984e0d | archive-date = 12 July 2020 }}</ref>

=== Probable cause ===
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation identified eleven causes and contributing factors of the crash in its final report. The first and most prominent was:

{{Blockquote|
Aircraft certification standards for material flammability were inadequate in that they allowed the use of materials that could be ignited and sustain or propagate fire. Consequently, flammable material propagated a fire that started above the ceiling on the right side of the cockpit near the cockpit rear wall. The fire spread and intensified rapidly to the extent that it degraded aircraft systems and the cockpit environment, and ultimately led to the loss of control of the aircraft.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|253}}
}}

Investigators identified evidence of [[Electric arc|arcing]] in wiring of the in-flight entertainment network (IFEN), but this did not trip the [[circuit breaker]]s, which were not [[Arc-fault circuit interrupter|designed to trip on arcing.]] The investigation was unable to determine whether this arc was the "lead event" that was assumed to have ignited the flammable covering on [[Metallized polyethylene terephthalate|MPET]] insulation blankets that quickly spread across other flammable materials.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|253}} After the crew cut power to "non-essential" cabin systems, a reverse flow in the cockpit ventilation ducts increased the amount of smoke reaching the flight deck.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|240}} By the time the crew became aware of the severity of the fire, it had become so extensive that it was impossible to address as it happened.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|254}}

The rapid spread of electrical power failures led to the breakdown of key avionics systems, and the crew was soon rendered unable to control the aircraft. The pilot-in-command was forced to fly manually because he had no light by which to see his controls after the instrument lighting failed. The fuel-laden plane was above maximum landing weight so the flight crew activated dumping of fuel. The pilots lost all control and the doomed plane flew into the ocean uncommanded. Recovered fragments of the plane show that the temperature inside the cockpit became so great that aluminium parts in the flight deck ceiling had melted. The recovered [[attitude indicator|standby attitude indicator]] and [[airspeed indicator]]s showed that the aircraft struck the water at {{Convert|300|kn|km/h mph|abbr=}} in a 20 degrees nose down and 110-degree bank attitude; the impact force of the aircraft crashing into the Atlantic Ocean was calculated to be 350 times the force of gravity ([[G-force]]).<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|103}} Death was instantaneous for all passengers and crew due to the impact forces and deceleration.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|104}}

==== In-flight entertainment network ====
[[File:In-flight entertainment equipment Touchscreen MD-11 Swissair - ETHZ LBS SR04-030238.jpg|thumb|Touchscreen in-flight entertainment system aboard a Swissair MD-11 (1997)]]
[[File:Video-System MD-11 Swissair - ETHZ LBS SR04-030091.jpg|thumb|Video system aboard a Swissair MD-11 (1999)]]
Both first and business class seats were equipped with a [[Windows NT 4.0]] based In-Flight Entertainment Network (IFEN) system with [[touchscreen]] in-seat video displays and [[magnetic card]] readers.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" /> In the [[Galley (kitchen)|galley]], a cabin [[file server]] served as a central hub for managing content, which facilitated movie downloads, stored flight and casino information, and collected [[credit card]] data transmitted from each seat.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|43}}

The original system design provided IFEN to all 257 seats. Originally, the IFEN was to be powered from the [[Cabin (aircraft)|cabin]] power distribution, but it could not deliver enough power for the complete IFEN setup intended for the 257-seat configuration. As a result, 115-volt three-phase [[400 Hz]] AC Bus 2, located in the cockpit area (the origin of the fire), was used to provide most of the IFEN power requirements. In April 1997 IFEN configuration was reduced only to 61 first and business class seats.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" /> {{rp|45}}

By design, AC Bus 2 remained active even when the "CABIN BUS" switch was turned off. The purpose of using the "CABIN BUS" switch, which was the first step in Swissair's "Smoke/Fumes of Unknown Origin" checklist during the incident, was to cut off most electrical power to the aircraft cabin, which was not helpful in the system design where IFEN was connected to AC Bus 2.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|176}}

Former employees of Interactive Flight Technologies, the company that manufactured the IFEN, conceded that each entertainment system box which processed all information for the passenger interface was positioned under each passenger seat and emitted excessive heat. Others raised concerns that extended to the high power consumption and overall heat generation of the system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Employees warned of heat on jets' entertainment systems |website=[[USA Today]] |url=http://usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2003-03-26-swissair_x.htm |access-date=2024-02-22 |archive-date=17 June 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030617130220/http://usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2003-03-26-swissair_x.htm |url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2019-08-21 |title=History of IFE Systems: From analog to digital – a start with difficulties |url=https://www.lhsystems.com/blog-entry/history-ife-systems-analog-digital-start-difficulties |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=Lufthansa Systems |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222201040/https://www.lhsystems.com/blog-entry/history-ife-systems-analog-digital-start-difficulties |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=www.PlaneSafe.org: Assistance: Family Support Team (FST) |url=https://planesafe.org/planesafe_archive/assistance/sa111.htm |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=planesafe.org}}</ref>

Installation of IFEN at Swissair was rushed and violated various FAA certification procedures.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stoller |first=Gary |date=2004-06-30 |title=Doomed plane's gaming system exposes holes in FAA oversight |url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2003-02-16-swissair-investigation_x.htm |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=USA Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040630195405/http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2003-02-16-swissair-investigation_x.htm |archive-date=30 June 2004}}</ref> According to Swissair Operational Engineering, IFEN added more than {{convert|1000|kg|lb}} of weight to the plane.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Transportation Safety Board of Canada |date=2003-03-27 |title=Supporting technical information A98H0003 - Transportation Safety Board of Canada |url=https://www.bst.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/dit-sti/dit-sti-29.html |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=www.bst.gc.ca}}</ref>

=== Safety recommendations ===
The TSB made nine recommendations relating to changes in aircraft materials (testing, certification, inspection, and maintenance), electrical systems, and flight data capture, as both flight recorders had stopped when they lost power six minutes before impact. General recommendations were also made regarding improvements in checklists and in fire-detection and fire-fighting equipment and training.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Watson |first1=Blair |title=The Transportation Safety Board |url=https://www.wingsmagazine.com/the-transportation-safety-board-1924/ |access-date=4 February 2025 |work=Wings Magazine |date=15 September 2008}}</ref> These recommendations led to widespread changes in Federal Aviation Administration standards, principally affecting wiring and fire hardening.<ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{Rp|278; 291; 319}}<ref>{{cite web |title=McDonnell Douglas MD-11 {{!}} Federal Aviation Administration {{!}} Swissair Flight 111, HB-IWF |url=https://www.faa.gov/lessons_learned/transport_airplane/accidents/HB-IWF |website=www.faa.gov |publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]] |access-date=4 February 2025}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

=== Valuables ===
The plane<nowiki>'s manifest indicated the presence of a significant amount of valuables, including 2 pounds of diamonds from ''Nature of Diamonds''</nowiki> exhibition<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Museum of Natural History Research Library: The Nature of Diamonds (Exhibition) (amnhc_5000481) |url=https://data.library.amnh.org/archives-authorities/id/amnhc_5000481 |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=data.library.amnh.org}}</ref> at the [[American Museum of Natural History]], 4 pounds of watches, 10 pounds of jewelry, and 49 kilograms of cash intended for a U.S. bank in Geneva.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Mystery of lost diamonds endures, 20 years after the Swissair Flight 111 crash |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/swissair-flight-111-diamonds-treasure-hunters-1.4804585 |website=CBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Depalma |first=Anthony |date=1998-09-17 |title=Swissair Jet Was Holding Museum Gem |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/17/nyregion/swissair-jet-was-holding-museum-gem.html |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title='Treasure, it just makes people crazy': Enduring mystery of lost diamonds, millions in cash from Swissair Flight 111 |url=https://canoe.com/news/national/treasure-it-just-makes-people-crazy-enduring-mystery-of-lost-diamonds-millions-in-cash-off-n-s-coast}}</ref> Insurer [[Lloyd's of London]] reportedly paid out an estimated $300 million for the lost diamonds and jewels. The company applied for a [[Treasure trove|treasure-trove]] license from the [[Nova Scotia Government|Nova Scotia government]] to search the crash site but faced opposition from victims' relatives, leading to the withdrawal of the application.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=swissinfo.ch |first=S. W. I. |date=2000-05-19 |title=Search for Swissair diamonds angers relatives |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/banking-fintech/search-for-swissair-diamonds-angers-relatives/1492806 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=SWI swissinfo.ch |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Following the crash, a {{convert|2|sqkm|sqmi|adj=on}} exclusion zone was established around the site and maintained for over a year to secure the scene. Despite restrictions, concerns arose regarding potential unauthorized attempts to search for valuables. Halifax-based TV documentary producer John Wesley Chisholm suggested that treasure hunters might have covertly explored the area in the years following the crash.<ref name=":0" />

=== Lost works ===
Two paintings, including ''Le Peintre'' (''The Painter'') by [[Pablo Picasso]], were on board the aircraft and were destroyed in the accident.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/picasso-painting-lost-in-crash/ |title=Picasso Painting Lost in Crash |location=Halifax, Nova Scotia |date=14 September 1998 |access-date=16 March 2008 |work=CBS News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423221854/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/09/14/world/main17411.shtml |archive-date=23 April 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, ''The Painter'' painting's value was estimated at $1.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swissair Flight 111 tragedy still raw 15 years later |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/swissair-flight-111-tragedy-still-raw-15-years-later-1.1329919}}</ref>

=== Lawsuit ===
In September 1999, Swissair, Delta Air Lines, and [[Boeing]] (who had acquired [[McDonnell Douglas]] through a merger in 1997) agreed to share liability for the accident and offered the families of the passengers financial compensation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/swissair/swissair.htm |title=Swissair Offers to Settle in Crash |newspaper=Washington Post |date=6 August 1999 |access-date=15 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708074621/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/swissair/swissair.htm |archive-date=8 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The offer was rejected in favour of a $19.8&nbsp;billion suit against Swissair and [[DuPont]], the supplier of the [[Mylar]] insulation sheathing. A US federal court ruled against punitive damages in February 2002. The resulting compensations for one group of plaintiffs totaled over $13&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rapoportlaw.com/index.cfm/fa/cases.detail/Case/d569e29c-d80a-4435-a406-79e14542f557Over_13_Million_for_Victims_of_Swissair_Disaster.cfm |publisher=Rapoport Law Offices |title=Over $13 Million for Victims of Swissair Disaster |date=27 February 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211184641/http://www.rapoportlaw.com/Verdicts-and-Settlements/Over-13-Million-for-Victims-of-Swissair-Airplane-Disaster.shtml |archive-date=11 February 2012}}</ref>

=== Memorials and tributes ===
[[File:Swissair memorial - Bayswater3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bayswater, Nova Scotia]], memorial]]
[[File:Swissair memorial - Bayswater1.jpg|thumb|Flowers at the Bayswater memorial]]
[[File:Peggys Cove Swissair Flight 111.jpg|thumb|Memorial, [[Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia]]]]

A non-denominational memorial service was held on the grounds of East St. Margaret's Elementary School in [[Indian Harbour, Nova Scotia|Indian Harbour]] on 9 September 1998. Among those in attendance were 175 relatives of the crash victims, Swiss president [[Flavio Cotti]], Canadian prime minister [[Jean Chrétien]], and Nova Scotia premier [[Russell MacLellan]].<ref name="memorial">{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Kevin |last2=Tu |first2=Thanh Ha |title=Crash victims mourned at sunset ceremony |work=The Globe and Mail |date=10 September 1998 |page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Swissair Memorial Service –Program |url=https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=19980909004 |publisher=Province of Nova Scotia |date=9 September 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Toughill |first1=Kelly |title=229 mourned at service |work=Toronto Star |date=10 September 1998 |page=A7}}</ref> A memorial service was also held in [[Zürich]] on 11 September 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.swissair.com/press_releases/pressrel_100998_1530-de.htm |title=SR 111-Trauerfeier: Medienservice und Programm |date=10 September 1998 |publisher=Swissair |language=de |trans-title=SR 111 funeral service: media service and program |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990225133452/http://www.swissair.com/press_releases/pressrel_100998_1530-de.htm |archive-date=25 February 1999 |access-date=6 June 2009}}</ref> The following year, another memorial was held in Nova Scotia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=19990826005 |title=Coordination and Planning Secretariat, Flight 111 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612181646/http://gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=19990826005 |archive-date=12 June 2010 |website=Government of Nova Scotia |date=26 August 1999 |access-date=6 June 2009}}</ref>

Two memorials to those who died in the crash were established by the Government of Nova Scotia. One is to the east of the crash site at The Whalesback, a promontory {{Convert|1|km|mi nmi|abbr=}} north of [[Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia|Peggy's Cove]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Swissair Flight 111 Memorial: Whalesback |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=45717 |website=Historical Marker Database |access-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926083336/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=45717 |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> The second is a more private, but much larger commemoration located west of the crash site near Bayswater Beach Provincial Park on the Aspotogan Peninsula in Bayswater.<ref>{{cite web |title=Swissair Flight 111 Memorial: Bayswater |url=http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=47255 |website=Historical Marker Database |access-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926103805/http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=47255 |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Here, the unidentified remains of the victims are interred. A fund was established to maintain the memorials and the government passed an act to recognize the memorials.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/sr111/ConditionofSwissairmemorialashame.html |title=Articles on memorial maintenance difficulties ca 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801142820/http://www.iasa.com.au/folders/sr111/ConditionofSwissairmemorialashame.html |archive-date=1 August 2008 |work=International Aviation Safety Association |access-date=6 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/flight11.htm |title=Flight 111 Special Places Memorial Act |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020003934/http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/flight11.htm |archive-date=20 October 2008 |website=Government of Nova Scotia |access-date=6 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Various other charitable funds were also created, including one in the name of a young victim from Louisiana, Robert Martin Maillet, which provided money for children in need,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4795C4D9B8254&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Man biking to Canada in honor of crash victim |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019091509/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4795C4D9B8254&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |archive-date=19 October 2012 |website=[[The Advocate (Louisiana)|The Advocate]] |date=2 August 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.robertsfund.com/index.html |title=Robert Martin Maillet Memorial Fund |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211233539/http://www.robertsfund.com/index.html |archive-date=December 11, 2007 |url-status=dead}} <!--link formerly excluded, due to robots.txt --></ref> and one in the name of Robert's mother, Karen E. Maillet-Domingue (also a victim), which granted [[scholarship]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.braf.org/maillet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217125150/http://www.braf.org/maillet |archive-date=17 February 2018 |title=Karen E. Maillet-Domingue and Solvay/Eco Services Scholarship Fund |website=[[Baton Rouge Area Foundation]] |url-status=dead |access-date=5 January 2021}}</ref>

=== Aftermath and effects on the industry ===
After the crash of Flight 111, the [[Flight number#flight designator|flight designator]] for Swissair's New York–Geneva route was changed to SR139, although the route was still operated by MD-11 aircraft. The crash of Flight 111 was a severe blow to Swissair and the airline suffered even more loss following the accident, particularly as the in-flight entertainment system that was blamed for causing the accident had been installed on the aircraft to attract more passengers. It was disconnected following the Transportation Safety Board discovery on 29 October 1998 and eventually removed on both Swissair fleets of 15 MD-11 and 3 Boeing 747.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=www.PlaneSafe.org: Assistance: Family Support Team (FST) |url=https://planesafe.org/planesafe_archive/assistance/sa111.htm |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=planesafe.org}}</ref><ref name="A98H0003 Final Report" />{{rp|275}}<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wald |first=Matthew L. |date=1998-10-30 |title=Heat Damage Is Found in Wires of Swissair Video System |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/30/nyregion/heat-damage-is-found-in-wires-of-swissair-video-system.html |access-date=2024-02-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Swissair later went bankrupt shortly after the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, an event that caused a significant and widespread disruption to the aviation transportation industry.<ref>{{cite news |title=Swissair Takes a Gamble on New System |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-31-fi-29756-story.html |access-date=6 May 2016 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=31 July 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603150557/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-07-31/business/fi-29756_1_interactive-systems |archive-date=3 June 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the bankruptcy of Swissair in 2001, their international traffic rights were passed to [[Crossair]] who took over Swissair's route network and fleet and began operating flights as the newly renamed [[Swiss International Air Lines]], changing the flight designator for the New York–Geneva route to LX023. The MD-11 was retired from the Swiss fleet in 2004, and the flight today is operated by an [[Airbus_A330#A330-300|Airbus A330-300]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWR23 |title=SWR23 / LX23 |newspaper=FlightAware |access-date=2023-06-15}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Switzerland|Aviation|1990s}}
* [[Aviation accidents and incidents]]
* [[South African Airways Flight 295]] – another aviation accident which occurred due to inflight fire
* [[EgyptAir Flight 804]] – another case of fire in the cockpit

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Citation |publisher=[[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] |title=Aviation Investigation Report, In-Flight Fire Leading to Collision with Water, Swissair Transport Limited McDonnell Douglas MD-11 HB-IWF Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia 5 nm SW 2 September 1998 |date=27 March 2003 |access-date=26 October 2024 |url=https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/a98h0003.html}} – [https://www.tsb.gc.ca/fra/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/a98h0003.html French version available here]<!--French is an official language of Canada, coofficial with English-->
*{{cite book |author=Kimber, Stephen |title=Flight 111:The Tragedy of the Swissair Crash |publisher=Seal Books, Toronto |year=1999 |isbn=0-7704-2840-1}}
*{{cite book |first1=David |last1=Wilkins |first2=Cecil |last2=Murphey |title=United by Tragedy: A Father's Story |publisher=Pacific Press Publishing Association |date=January 2003 |isbn=0-8163-1980-4}}
*{{cite book |first1=Budge |last1=Wilson |title=After Swissair |publisher=Pottersfield Press |date=February 2016}}
*{{cite book |first1=Thomas |last1=Juby |title=Twice As Far |publisher=R.J. Parker Publishing |date=January 2017}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{External media
| float  = right
| width  = 
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search?registrationActual=HB-IWF&display=detail airliners.net's Photo gallery]}}

*[http://www.austrianwings.info/2013/09/mayday-ueber-dem-atlantik-der-schicksalsflug-von-sr-111/ Detailed report about the crash on Austrian Wings] (German, published on 2 September 2013)
*[https://www.swissair.com/info111.htm Swissair – Information about the accident of SR111] – [[Swissair]] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990429162958/http://www.swissair.com/info111.htm |date=29 April 1999 }})
*[https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/a98h0003.html Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation report] ([https://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/1998/a98h0003/a98h0003.pdf PDF])
*[http://www.esquire.com/features/long-fall-one-eleven-heavy-0700 ''Esquire'' July 2000 report "The Long Fall of One-Eleven Heavy" highlighting the human side of the accident]
*[[Lloyd's of London]]
**"[http://www.lloyds.com/Lloyds/Press-Centre/Press-Releases/2000/05/Lloyds_statement_regarding_Swissair_crash_site_license_application Lloyd's statement regarding Swissair crash site license application]." Friday 19 May 2000. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120325130108/http://www.lloyds.com/Lloyds/Press-Centre/Press-Releases/2000/05/Lloyds_statement_regarding_Swissair_crash_site_license_application Archive])
**"[http://www.lloyds.com/Lloyds/Press-Centre/Press-Releases/2000/05/Lloyds_statement_regarding_the_Swissair_crash_site Lloyd's statement regarding the Swissair crash site]." Tuesday 23 May 2000. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120325130127/http://www.lloyds.com/Lloyds/Press-Centre/Press-Releases/2000/05/Lloyds_statement_regarding_the_Swissair_crash_site Archive])
*[http://www.tailstrike.com/020998.htm Cockpit Voice Recorder transcript and accident summary on tailstrike.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123032917/http://www.tailstrike.com/020998.htm |date=23 January 2015 }}
*[http://www.swissairflight111.org/ Swissair Flight 111 memorial site] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110122105128/http://www.swissairflight111.org/ Archive])
*[http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/NEWS/9809/03/swissair.profile/index.html Swissair profile] ''CNN'' ([https://web.archive.org/web/19990219205050/http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/NEWS/9809/03/swissair.profile/index.html Archive])
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/253248.stm Swissair crash warning to airlines], ''[[BBC]]''

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Canada}}
{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1998}}
{{In-flight fires}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Swissair accidents and incidents|111]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1998]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Canada]]
[[Category:Disasters in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:History of Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:1998 in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by in-flight fires]]
[[Category:1998 disasters in Canada]]
[[Category:Canada–Switzerland relations]]
[[Category:Marine salvage operations]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]
[[Category:1990s fires in North America]]
[[Category:1998 fires]]
[[Category:1998 in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:September 1998 in Canada]]
[[Category:Halifax Stanfield International Airport]]