USAIR CRASH . . . FIXING THINGS THAT GO BUMP

In full-page ads in more than 40 newspapers, USAir announced it had hired a retired Air Force general to oversee its flight operations and a team of auditors to review itssafety record. The blitz, arranged to counter public unease after six fatal accidents in the last five years as the nation nears the frantic Thanksgiving travel period, follows by one day disclosures that a USAir foreman was told of unusual noises heard by first-leg passengers on theUSAir Boeing 737before it crashed outside Pittsburgh Sept. 8, killing all 132 passengers. The foreman, who approached the plane's captain, was told, "No, we have a good airplane," the airline said. But today, industry sources told the Associated Press the unusual sounds apparently came from an open public address system. The complaints surfaced in depositions filed Thursday by a lawyer suing USAir on behalf of victims' families.Post your opinion on theScience & Technologybulletin board.