Posted on 11/18/2001 4:01:03 AM PST by vrwc54
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:49:34 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Nearly a week after last Monday's accident, the National Transportation Safety Board has all but ruled out terrorism as its cause.
If the Post is correct, I find it very disturbing that, just five days after the crash, the NTSB would categorically rule out a major area of investigation for the unexplained failure of a major airframe component. Particularly since, as recently as two days ago, the investigative agency hadn't even put together a timeline of the accident, overlaying the voice and data recorder information.
(Excerpt) Read more at airdisaster.com ...
If you have ever raced really fast sailboats, like a 505 or a Hobie 18, then you know what rudder flutter feels like. But it DOES NOT destroy the rudder and tiller. But you sure do feel it.
I still stick with the simplest theory -- a weakened structure encountered lateral forces from the top and bottom of a wing vortex. The forces exceeded its remaining strength. It failed, the aircraft departed controlled flight rapidly, parts fell of from the ensuing stress.
I blame Airbus and weak ADs.
It may have been, but for the rudder to come off the stabilizer, the stabilizer to come off the tail, then both engines one at a time in less than a minute is extremely unusual, wouldn't you say?
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