CRASH TARNISHES AIRLINE’S RECORD

A spokesman for Singapore Airlines admitted that the company’s L.A.-bound 747 which crashed and burned on takeoff from Taiwan’s Taipei airport during a violent storm was apparently on a runway that had been closed for repairs. It most likely collided with construction equipment, as local officials had previously stated. The Oct. 30 crash, which claimed 81 lives, was the first in Singapore Airlines history, and investigators are still examining the flight data recorders and other evidence in an attempt to piece together what went wrong. Sources in London told Reuters that the 747-400 had an insured hull value of around $124 million, placed through Willis Corroon. No information has been made public concerning liability coverage.