Now this plane "breaks up in the air" -- NOT TERRORISM! NOT TERRORISM!
Dear God I hope that is the case.
It came down in pieces. It could have blown up. Nothing yet on what caused breakup.
When the Vincennes shot down the Iranian airliner some of the bodies that were found also had no clothing. The forces that act upon the people are unimaginable.
Ummmm... a human body going from 500 MPH to 0 MPH in the course of a short distance is going to break bones, whether you are strapped to an aluminum chair or not.
The plane may have broke up in flight, but I don’t see how broken bones is proof of that.
Apparently there’s a certain pattern of injuries (I forget what they’re called, but there’s a term for it) that’s specific to an in-flight breakup. They’re basically caused by the flailing of limbs caused when the seated, belted passengers suddenly get ejected into a slipstream with an apparent speed of 250-300 mph.
}:-)4
The phrase used in my aviation survival training was "time of useful consciousness". It's the amount of time you have between realizing you need to get the oxygen mask on your face and the time you're too far incapacitated to act on your own behalf. 10 to 15 seconds is tops at typical airliner cruise altitudes. In a less catastrophic situation, you might notice being light headed and have more time to get to oxygen.
Rumors in the Aviation community. Aircraft breakup, and the cause, poorly designed composite parts, control surfaces (Vertical Stabilizer ah la NYC American Crash) and other suspects. Airbus will be in deep dark trouble after this. Their composite materials may not have been properly designed or certified for safe flight in all conditions.
"...No unusual occurrences were noted by either crewmember during the departure and climbout. As the airplane leveled at 24,000 feet, both pilots heard a loud "clap" or "whooshing" sound followed by a wind noise behind them. The first officer's head was jerked backward, and she stated that debris, including pieces of gray insulation, was floating in the cockpit. The captain observed that the cockpit entry door was missing and that there was blue sky where the first-class ceiling had been. The captain immediately took over the controls of the airplane. He described the airplane attitude as rolling slightly left and right and that the flight controls felt "loose."
Because of the decompression, both pilots and the air traffic controller in the observer seat donned their oxygen masks. The captain began an emergency descent. He stated that he extended the speed brakes and descended at an indicated airspeed (IAS) of 280 to 290 knots. Because of ambient noise, the pilots initially used hand signals to communicate. The first officer stated that she observed a rate of descent of 4,100 feet per minute at some point during the emergency descent. The captain also stated that he actuated the passenger oxygen switch. The passenger oxygen manual tee handle was not actuated.
When the decompression occurred, all the passengers were seated and the seat belt sign was illuminated. The No. 1 flight attendant reportedly was standing at seat row 5. According to passenger observations, the flight attendant was immediately swept out of the cabin through a hole in the left side of the fuselage. The No. 2 flight attendant, standing by row 15/16, was thrown to the floor and sustained minor bruises. She was subsequently able to crawl up and down the aisle to render assistance and calm the passengers. The No. 3 flight attendant, standing at row 2, was struck in the head by debris and thrown to the floor. She suffered serious injuries including a concussion and severe head lacerations....