Word: crash
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...crash was a painfully timed psychological setback for Europe's costly venture in commercial-jet building. The A320 is a daring new breed of plane, the world's first commercial airliner in which the pilots "fly by wire" -- controlling the engines and wing surfaces (rudder, flaps, ailerons) via computers and electronic commands rather than hydraulic or cable linkages. The fallen jet was only the sixth A320 to come off the assembly line at the Airbus Industrie consortium's plant in Toulouse. But the questions arising from the accident apply to the entire aircraft industry, for the planes of the future...
French government officials rushed to absolve the plane, even though the precise cause of the crash will require a month-long study. In a news conference, Transport Minister Louis Mermaz declared that "there is no reason to question the proper functioning of the plane or its use." He did not fix the blame on pilot error, but other officials alleged that Pilot Michel Asseline, 44, had been flying much too low, at only about 30 ft., far below the minimum safe level of 100 ft. This was less than totally comforting for Airbus and Air France, however, because the veteran...
Despite professions of confidence from airlines, the A320 is likely to be watched with special scrutiny until it can establish a long-running safety record. Last week's crash was preceded by several glitches involving the new model. The first A320 to be delivered to Air France suffered a failure in four of its five electrical circuits in March when a transformer failed just before takeoff on a demonstration run over Paris with then Premier Jacques Chirac on board. Air France says a backup system immediately took over and there was never any danger to passengers or the plane...
...Chicano Rock 'n' Roller Ritchie Valens, was last summer's surprise hit, earning $55 million at the North American box office. Maybe Hispanic film artists would prefer to believe in La Bamba's rags-to-riches story. But they know how even that film ends: with a fatal plane crash...
...rumblings of a dollar comeback have been building for months. The resurgence of the U.S. economy after the crash and the narrowing trade gap persuaded many currency speculators that a declining dollar was no longer warranted. But they lacked the confidence to bid up the currency because they feared the U.S. and other industrial countries might simply intervene in the markets and put the dollar back in its lowly place. In late June, however, that perception changed sharply. At their Toronto economic summit meeting, the leaders of the seven major industrialized countries, or G-7, issued a communique that showed...