Ummm... no, the codes do not indicate a blowout of the window. Not at all - a window blowout would have been accompanied by a long list of pressurization loss error codes and it wasn’t. I posted this in one of the other threads:
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Doesnt work with the ACARS reporting timeline - fire was first detected inside the bulkhead under/around the right front windows. Check the timeline (Ive annotated it):
00:26Z 3044 ANTI ICE R WINDOW - right forward cockpit window anti-ice sensor has detected elevated temperatures when the computer wasnt expecting to see them.
00:26Z 561200 R SLIDING WINDOW SENSOR - right side cockpit window sensor has detected elevated temperatures when the computer was not expecting to see them.
00:26Z 2600 SMOKE LAVATORY SMOKE - Smoke detected in the lavatory. The front lav on an A320 is one the *left* side of the aircraft. It shares the back wall of the cockpit on the left side.
00:27Z 2600 AVIONICS SMOKE - Smoke detected in the avionics bay which IIRC is under the floor of the cockpit.
00:28Z 561100 R FIXED WINDOW SENSOR - right side cockpit window sensor has detected elevated temperatures when the computer was not expecting to see them.
00:29Z 2200 AUTO FLT FCU 2 FAULT - Autopilot module 2 has failed, probably due to fire given prior messages.
00:29Z 2700 F/CTL SEC 3 FAULT - Part of main flight controls has failed, probably due to fire given prior messages.
This reads like an underfloor fire.
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Note the time between the codes - three *minutes* between first heat alarm and loss of one of the flight control systems. There are no in-cockpit codes, so this fire was not actually in the cockpit. The smoke was wafting its way up from the bottom of the fuselage and getting out by any way it could - first through the lavatory plumbing and electrical passthroughs then getting into the avionics bay after the (presumed) fire had breached its containment.
This does *not* rule out terrorism, but it does rule out in-flight participation by anyone on board. The areas where an incendiary could cause these areas and no others are *not* accessible in flight. Nor is the forward baggage compartment far enough forward for a device in the luggage to be the likely cause. If it was terrorism, it was an incendiary placed in the nose or in the fuselage under the cockpit area by someone on the ground. It is, however, more likely that this is another SwissAir Flight 111 incident where faulty electronics or wiring caused a fire. Remember, this is a FRENCH built plane.
ML/NJ
You make some good points........however I am not an Airbus expert....but I am a B707 & 747 maintenance expert. I have also worked in aviation maintenance for too many years to mention, wth a number of airlines and OEMs, mainly Boeing!!!
But, knowing that the A320 aircraft is a “fly-by-wire” aircraft and, although it is a fully safe operating system under normal operational modes, a major destruction of computor components and inputs can quickly cause severe loss of active or prevent manual flight control!!! I get nervous when I note that all smoke/fire activity as sent from the “ACARS” inputs is located in the same area...the cockpit, cockpit windows, the left foward lavatory and the E&E lctrical/avionics, control compartment where the flight contol computors are located.
Now......my input is just me thinking out loud....but I am 100% sure that Airbus Engineering knows exactly what happened, based on the input from “ACARS”. If this model of Airbus aircraft has had a long list of these type failures, I could see keeping an open mind. But, no such history trail exists. All are silent on both the Captain & First Officer & no “Mayday” call from either of the flight crew. Airbus can quickly calculate the ACARS failure messages in a time lapse and know whether sufficient time was available for a crew “Mayday” radio call or not!!! Like I say Airbus has a darn good idea exactly what happened on the doomed airplane and, I believe, they believe their aircraft was not al fault & terrorism is at fault.....set off by either one or both of the flight crew or, an invader into the cockpit or lavatory, setting off the bomb device of in a strategic location. I stiil smell the Muslim Brotherhood/ISIS cartel are the villians of this massive planned and successfully carried out massacre...and, they for obvious reasons of the Obama/Clinton adoration of MB/ISIS want to remain silent. We shall see, although, Airbus and the involved governments, including the USA, will spin this incident out over a prolonged period of time. The truth and timely relaease of such is not at the top of the list for the media, the governments, the aircraft manufacturer. The public, and, sadly, the relatives and loved ones of those murdered on this ill fated airplane take it in the shorts once again!!!!
Possibly. But it seems the crew would have had time to get off a distress signal. There are also witnesses that saw the plane blow up.