WHO WAS TO BLAME? THE QUEStion ricocheted around the globe. From Amsterdam, where the charred remains of victims were being shoveled out of smoldering rubble. To Tel Aviv, where El Al Airlines fielded inquiries about its plane's safety record. To Seattle, where the Boeing Co. called on carriers worldwide to inspect the engine mountings of 551 747 jets. To Taiwan, where divers searched the ocean floor for fresh clues to the cause of a mysterious -- and perhaps similar -- crash last December.
The darkest fears of all those who live in the flight paths of airports were realized on the...