Brazil official to AP: Crash bodies show fractures

AP via Google News ^ | June 17, 2009 | By STAN LEHMAN

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SAO PAULO (AP) — Bodies recovered in the Air France disaster show multiple fractures in the legs, hips and arms, a Brazilian official said Wednesday. Experts said such injuries suggest the plane broke up in the air.

"Typically, if you see intact bodies and multiple fractures — arm, leg, hip fractures — it's a good indicator of a midflight break up," Ciacco said. "Especially if you're seeing large pieces of aircraft as well."

Jack Casey, an aviation safety consultant in Washington, D.C., who is a former accident investigator, said the lack of clothing could be significant: "In an in-air break up like we are supposing here, the clothes are just torn away."

He also said multiple fractures are consistent with a midair breakup of the plane.

"Getting ejected into that kind of windstream is like hitting a brick wall — even if they stay in their seats, it is a crushing effect," Casey said. "Most of them were long dead before they hit the water would be my guess."

When a jet crashes into water mostly intact — such as the Egypt Air plane that hit the Atlantic Ocean after taking off from New York in 1999 — the debris and bodies are broken into small pieces, Ciacco said.

"When you've had impact in the water, there is a lot more fragmentation of the bodies. They hit the water with a higher force," he said.

If something caused the lower fuselage to burn or explode, "passengers would not be exposed to any blast damage" and the plane would still disintegrate in flight," he said. "These are scenarios that cannot be ruled out."

[TMSuchman]

On the speed you are wrong, terminal velocity is around 120-150MPH with in that area on average. There are a few other factors in voled but that the usual speed. I know this fact after skydiving for a few years.

[Blueflag]

Ok, best to speak from experience. I had thought non-streamlined free-fall was closer 10 100kts.

I understood if you get all tucked in you can hit 120 - 150, but not as a falling human.

I defer to your experience. I try to stay IN the cockpit myself ;-)

[Blueflag]

LOL FReeRepublic is like that. I always try to check what I write ... is this from MEMORY (scary) or have I fact-checked it?!?!? I get burned every time I *THINK* I know ...

I feel your pain.

[ChicagahAl]

From the B-52 article: "the Air Force early on experienced tail sections and stabilizers breaking off"

They don't just "fall off". But pretty much any aircraft surface can be overstressed to failure, either by excessive G forces or by wind shear - if the forces are strong enough.

[Blueflag]

You are correct in that CAT can be roll/yaw/shear/lift/drop, all at once!

These guys weren’t in CAT; they were in convection.

Just my experience really, not so much scientific study. Storms bump you up and down/ ground effects, CAT, mountains, Jet stream can toss you around. Any lateral boundary layer can produce “shear”

[TMSuchman]

You are correct in the position of a “body” when falling. The “bullet” position is to gain more speed in the air, like an F-14 pulling it's wings back. But a body falling through the air from Ft Level 350 the bodies, would be in all sorts of positions while falling. The water would still be as hard as a rock when landing, but the “bodies” at that point were far from caring. The person that was in that body has gone to Heaven, for their final reward! My only hope is that they did not feel anything before the end. All though I can be there was a great amount of fear, going through the aircraft!

[SkyDancer]

Still thinking storms ....convection can flip a plane over. The plane must have encountered weather forces that tore it apart.

[caver]

“LOL FReeRepublic is like that. I always try to check what I write ... is this from MEMORY (scary) or have I fact-checked it?!?!? I get burned every time I *THINK* I know .”

Yea, even if I don’t know some one will correct me. That’s all right. I got thick skin and am usually wrong more than I am right. It keeps me on my toes. Bring it on Freepers!