I'm in the NTSB Investigative site for the Flight 587 crash now,
http://www.ntsb.gov/events/2001/AA587/default.htm . I have no aviation background, so maybe I'm missing something. I can't find a transcript from the Pilot's black box audio.
All of the investigative information states the accident was rudder and vertical stabilizer failure. And my post about this 'blowing smoke' was from the head of the NTSB back in 2001 for the Egypt crash.
Did you see an article that said differently? I would love to read it.