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OK, it cool on the fuel dump issue. My local radio had it wrong.

But I'm not ruling out a mechanical problem. Airbus ain't a Boeing.

"If it aint Boeing,I aint Going!"

An airline pilot dumps fuel to lighten the aircraft. A lighter aircraft is easier to control and stays in the air longer. This isn't rocket science. I'm not an airline pilot, but a member of my family is. He says this accident (unless new evidence is revealed)is a classic engine failure or bird strike scenario.

When something breaks loose in one of those turbines, it can have a catastrophic result--metal parts go flying everywhere. It can result in the same effect as a bomb going off.

A few sea gulls sucked in to one of those turbines could have caused enough turbine blades to break off and explode the turbine itself, and the shrapnel probably sheared off other parts of the plane including the wing.

It wouldn't be the first or the last time that a few birds caused an aviation disaster. We think we have everything under control with our high tech inventions, but it's amazing how birds, rats, and other humble critters can wreak havoc on aviation, power plants, electrical grids, etc.