[Solson]

A bit more detail in this article.

[Solson]

This confirms more of your thoughts...

[okie01]

The vertical stab is "it". Whatever went wrong started here. But...

"the vertical stabilizer was the first piece of debris found, followed by the rudder about 200 yards further down the flight path."

This seems odd, though. The rudder is attached to the fin; so, it should've come off with the fin. And, if it subsequently separated from the fin, why would it have been found further down the flight path. Significantly so -- since the airframe went down a half mile away, the rudder was a full quarter of the way further down the track.

Is the rudder also separately attached to the tailcone? So that it might have been left "hanging", before it too separated?

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Black said investigators noted "noises" on an air traffic control tower tape of communications between controllers and Flight 587. The noises -- which Black did not describe in detail -- were heard at about the time crew lost control. He did not say what the sounds indicated.

What kind of noise did they hear? Why no detail on this?

[Fiddlstix]

Here's another Interesting Post

[Nita Nupress]

If anyone gets into a conversation about directional EMP, please flag me. I don't have time to read this thread or the responses, so forgive me if this idea is redundant and has already been discussed. Be back later.

[Osinski]

Now, my question is this...why no reports of eyewitnesses who spoke quite definitively about flames and smoke near the wings. Or did I miss this in the article. Again...only airline pilots and ground crews are credible eyewitnesses? Check out any news footage of interviewing the people who actually saw the thing go down. There's plenty of 'em. Everyone says flames and smoke.

[Osinski]

Now, my question is this...why no reports of eyewitnesses who spoke quite definitively about flames and smoke near the wings. Or did I miss this in the article. Again...only airline pilots and ground crews are credible eyewitnesses? Check out any news footage of interviewing the people who actually saw the thing go down. There's plenty of 'em. Everyone says flames and smoke.

[HangThemHigh]

I think the rattling noise was some guy with an air wrench. (Didn't you ever see the episode of Twilight Zone where a guy was out on the wing tearing off parts of the plane?)