Mechanical problems found with plane that crashed in Alaska

Federal investigators have found problems with an anti-skid device in an airplane that crashed in Alaska last year, killing one person and injuring four others on Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands, according to documents. The documents released by the NTSB on Wednesday said the plane’s systems showed signs of a mechanical issue that could have affected interplay between its brakes and its anti-skid controls, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Investigators said there were crossed wires on the left side of the plane. The manufacturer of the anti-skid system, Crane, said in the document that the crossed wires could have prevented the brakes on the plane’s left side from working. The Saab 2000 turboprop crashed after attempting a second approach into Unalaska under windy conditions. The plane — which carried 39 passengers and three crew — overran the runway, crashed though a perimeter fence and across a road before stopping on rocks next to the Bering Sea shore. The front wheel rolled into the water. Shrapnel and part of a propeller sliced into the cabin. A 38-year-old Washington state man who was traveling to Unalaska for work was killed. His death was the first crash-related death on a US commercial airline in the last decade. Story has more details.<br/>