FAA Bans Seat-Back Entertainment Set

Aviation officials in Washington banned U.S. airlines from installing in Boeing MD-11 planes the type of in-flight entertainment system that was in a Swissair plane that crashed last year off Nova Scotia. The Federal Aviation Administration order is a preemptive action, since only 15 MD-11s have the system and Swissair owns them all. The order highlights lingering questions about the safety of systems installed after an aircraft leaves the assembly plant. The Canadian government, which is investigating the crash, still has not determined the cause of the Sept. 2, 1998 accident that killed all 229 aboard.