BUT ... IIRC the VS was found FAR from the presumed impact area (debris field), leading one to infer that perhaps the VS ‘fell off’ before the ‘flat spin’. who knows
Two cases of empennage “falling off” Airbuses. Not good.
Shades of the Lockheed L-188 Electra problems.
I thought the same. However, (a poster whose moniker I forget mentioned this) the tail floats.
It could have drifted on the currents, which would explain it being found far away.
My reason for thinking the tail broke off first, is that it was found so intact.
If the rest of the plane’s parts are twisted and distorted, why is the tail in one piece?