Patali: Pilot of AA flight dumped fuel prior to crash, in (likely) response to mechanical failures

Gov. Pataki | 11/12/01 | WABC Radio

[Steven W.]

Gov. Pataki is reporting that the pilot of the ill-fated American Airlines flight dumped most of the airplane's fuel over Jamaica Bay, anticipating a crash landing and most likely indicating a trained response to onboard mechanical failures.

[sarcasm]

Paul Czysz, an aviation specialist at Parks College of St. Louis University, said the circular hole in the side of an engine that fell from the doomed airliner is suspicious. Czysz said jet engines of the type on the A-300 are designed to contain any debris from a turbine blade failure. In a catastrophic, uncontained failure involving sheared turbine blades, he said, there likely would be more engine damage than apparent in the engine on the ground.

Cyzsz said that if the engine had fallen from the plane as a result of failure in its attachment bolts, he also would expect to see more substantial damage than was apparent in pictures of the engine on the ground.

[antivenom]

I thought you lived in Vermont or is it New Hampshire???

[NixNatAVanG InDaBurgh]

> The wing was in the bay.

Yepper. Caught that as the story fleshes out. NO ACCIDENT!!!!

[freeasinbeer]

Yep, and MSNBC also reported something that I consider to be very important. The anchor just reported that apparantly the A300 is not physically capable of 'dumping' fuel. I can't confirm this, but that is what he just said as they were going to commercial.

Another pilto they were interviewing stated that the eye witness likely did correctly see fuel dumping from the plan, but it was most likely from some kind of catastrophic damage that was allowing the fuel to leak out, either a damaged fuel line in the wing on engine areas.

[TankerKC]

Contaminated fuel? Ever heard of such a thing?

Yes, and it is on of the first things that is checked.

[concerned about politics]

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[Oldeconomybuyer]

New York City police officers look at a jet engine from American Airlines flight 587 that landed at a gas station several blocks away from the plane's crash site November 12, 2001 in the Rockaway section of Queens, New York. Authorities scrambled to determine what caused the crash, with the government ruling nothing out but taking steps consistent with a safety probe rather than a criminal one. (Jim Bourg/Reuters) - Nov 12 5:15 PM ET

Emergency personnel stand next to a part of the aircraft fuselage in the front yard of a house at B130th Street and Newport Ave, at the scene of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in the Queens borough of New York, November 12, 2001. There were no survivors among the 255 people aboard; six others were reported missing on the ground, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. (Pool via Reuters) - Nov 12 5:14 PM ET

A large section of the tailpiece of an American Airlines jet is lifted by a crane after a plane crashed in the Queens Borough section of New York Monday, Nov. 12, 2001. A plane approaches JFK Airports to land in the backbround top. The tail piece was recovered from Jamaica Bay and towed to shore. (AP Photo/Daniel P. Derella) - Nov 12 4:51 PM ET

A large section of the tailpiece of American Airlines Flight 587 is lifted off a boat by a crane after the Airbus A300 crashed in the Rockaway Beach section of the Queens borough of New York Monday, Nov. 12, 2001. The tailpiece was recovered from Jamaica Bay and towed to shore. (AP Photo/Daniel P. Derella) - Nov 12 4:19 PM ET

[Smogger]

Hell, I'm sitting at my keyboard 3,000 miles away looking out the window at a pine tree and I know this was due to terrorist activity. Hey, I don't even know the difference between a 767 and an Airbus and I know that this is suspicious.

Just because he's in New York in contact with the disaster scene and I'm sitting in a cubicle on the other side of the country, doesn't mean I don't know squat.

You summed up my sentiments exactly. The Feds and NY officials are worried about the economic damage and the damage to the airline industry. Let's face it folks they are spinning like crazy. The assumption should be that the "mechanical failure" was the result of a deliberate act until proven otherwise.

And another thing. People need to stop focusing on the term mechanical failure because it is obvious that a mechanical failure occurred. If one had NOT occurred the plane would still be in flight or have landed safely by now. The question is whether or not it was a mechanical failure (it was.) The question is whether or not it was a deliberate act.

[cmsgop]

If the pilot had time to dump fuel, wouldn't he also have been able to avoid hitting such a narrow peninsula?

Not With The Tail Missing.No Rudder Control.

[nicmarlo]

Lets see if the gov. spills it, or just makes us "feel better" with a nice little engine malfunction story.

Those are my thoughts.

[Greenpointer]

That's reasonable. I still think it was birds.

Here is an article written two days ago.

Bird- plane collisions on the rise

[Smogger]

I'm flying tommorrow, and I my only precaution is that I'll be watching like an eagle any Arab males that might be on my flight. The seat cushion comes out easily and can be used as a shield, and the seatbelt itself is easily disconnected, to then be wrapped around your hand as a weapon. Of course, I'd rather have my .44 Mag., but I probably couldn't get through security with it.

Well said. However, the precautions that you are taking will not save your from a deliberate act of sabotage to the plane.

[nicmarlo]

Evidently the interview with Ken is correct. MSNBC is running video of a police boat hoisting a large tail segment out of Jamaca Bay. . . . anchor guy is saying the video is near the end of the runway indicating the tail separated prior to the engines or wings.

I wonder how long it will take for the feds to shut Ken up or make him recant his story?

[MarkWar]

>...just makes us "feel better" with a nice little engine malfunction story.

You know, there's as aspect of this story that is almost so absurd that it sounds like something from "Dr. Strangelove" or something.

We've got all these media and Establishment types falling all over themselves to make 9 billion cases for mechanical failure rather than terrorist attack and what they are saying is:

The US air fleet is SO d*mn old and SO d*mn shoddily maintained and SO d*mn badly designed to begin with that it's REASONABLE to think that an engine could just "routinely" fall off or blow up taking the control hydrolics with it...

[sighs]

Why is THAT message supposed to be more comforting than the terrorist message?

Mark W.

[FFIGHTER]

Pretty damn fast in an emergency.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Dang, Its 4:30pm and the Fox video loop is still that same shot of the helicopter behind the power line from 7 hours earlier. Still pushing the fuel dump line. Also hard to determine if Rita Crosby's new look is an improvement or not.

[marshmallow]

My sarcasm must be too subtle.

I was taking a poke at all the armchair experts on this site who've already made up their minds on this one without even having left the confines of their monitor.

[aristeides]

The Air Egypt plane had made a mysterious stop at Edwards Air Force Base in California, which was soon denied. But this is the first I've heard about the Egyptian officers having gotten terrorist training. Anybody got a source or link?

[freeasinbeer]

Apparently they took off in the opposite direction and then turned south to start heading towards their destination

[nicmarlo]

Re: Your post #146. You made some great observations (I thought of a few of those myself). And I agree with all your points, especially:

5. Just because the 9/11 terrorists used the planes as missiles does not mean they would use the same MO on another "hit." More likely they would change their MO for every event, just to keep us guessing.

6. There is no doubt that many in the ground crew/ mechanics/baggage handlers/plane cleaners etc. are likely to be middle eastern, and have excellent opportunities to sabotage any plane they like.