Engine Failure Likely Downed Cargo Plane

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MIAMI: TIME aviation expert Jerry Hannifin says eyewitness accounts support the theory that engine failure caused the deadly crash of a Fine Air cargo jet yesterday. After hearing witness reports of the plane "wobbling" upon takeoff from Miami International, Hannifin believes the tragedy that killed the DC-8's four-man crew and injured four others on the ground was likely the result of a stalled compressor in one of the plane's engines.

He dismissed speculation the crash had anything to do with the fact that the "ancient" plane (they stopped making the DC-8 15 years ago) full of blue jeans bound for the Dominican Republic had been scheduled to take off the previous night. Hannifin pointed out cargo operations such as Fine Air customarily operate "on demand," not sticking to any working schedule.