Investigators Find Signs Birdstrike May Have Caused Crash of Flight 587

Wall Street Journal ^ | November 13, 2001 | SCOTT MCCARTNEY

[Axion]

Investigators examining one of the separated engines from American Airlines Flight 587 found foreign debris inside, indicating that the engine may have ingested a flock of birds and then caught on fire.

The engine burned internally, people close to the investigation said. But its parts appeared intact, except for the damage from what is known in aviation as ``foreign object debris,'' or ``FOD.'' That would suggest that the engine didn't suffer a catastrophic failure from some mechanical breakdown, but from sucking in birds, these people said.

[WestPoint90]

yeah and then the remnant of the birds are spewed out with such force that they knock the tail off before the engine has time to fall.

Lucy's got some "splainin to do"

[EggsAckley]

This has the smell of a Clinton debacle.

That's probably because most of the people involved are Clinton's sloppy seconds.

[LSJohn]

I swear it was not me...

Maybe not, but you know d@mn well the gubmint will blame you.

[ScreamingFist]

"yeah and then the remnant of the birds are spewed out with such force that they knock the tail off before the engine has time to fall"

Think of a turbine wheel spinning at 40,000 RPM, now imagine it coming apart. Looks like a bomb going off.

[lonestar]

It is the government which brings people to believe in a conspiracy... they are not always honest with us.. tell us what they think we should hear.. Of course if they all spoke to the american public like Mayor Juliani does, than we would not come to these theories.

And how do you know Rudy speaks the truth? Because you saw pictures of airplanes flying into buildings? Can't argue with that!

Some people don't want "facts" to get in the way of their conspiracy. They live for a new conspiracy theory!

BTW, I have friends who for an hour yesterday morning, thought their son was the pilot on that flight.

[anniegetyourgun]

Hey, LS....it's just so much fun to watch. It brings out the best of FR - that which she is known for!

As for the issue at hand, I'll await the results. But then, that would make me a dupe, right?

[Nimitz]

Of course they don't, the test cell is designed to observe events that would represent many scenarios, including a worst case. Since volkswagens aren't likely to be found at cruising altitude, they just use frozen turkeys. Hey, it gets cold up there.....just kidding. Anyway, if the engine were to corncob in one of these platforms, it would be unlikely you'd see that nice piece of unperforated cowling laying in the gas station parking lot. I will not fold to the tinfoil hat wearing missle strike theorists, but bombs are another story.......

[LTCJ]

I swear it was not me...

Hmmmm. Yet what is in a name? Sir, I have to ask you not to leave the local area for the next few weeks.

[fod]

me?

an official scapegoat?

perhaps even a household name?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I'm thinking more in the lines of interesting political embarassments being on board the plane. I doubt any were. But it must be considered when you think about a deliberate plane crash. Sad freegards....

[DanDDynamo]

Just keep making those flight plans for the holidays, folks...

[concerned about politics]

Someone is just flipping us the bird.
If birds are that deadly, shouldn't America have been forewarned of their terrorist abitities before passengers were allowed to board the plane?
Was the baggage checked for feather debirs?
What kind of birds are found living in Afganistan?
Why build an airport so close to a deadly area?
Is it the Kennedy curse affecting us all?
Where was Bill Clinton yesterday? Was he in the country, or did he flee again?

[ChemistCat]

You mean to tell me a flockin' bird took the plane down? Pleeeease!

I am an airline pilot for a major airline, and I can tell you that it is EASY for a flock of birds to bring down a plane. I has happened before, and it is why every major airport has bird advisories when there are birds observed to be in the vincinity. It may or may not be the cause of this, but it is not only plausible, it is extremely so. 69 posted on 11/13/01 7:27 AM Pacific by safisoft

I thought this bore repeating.

[Leroy S. Mort]

Deport all birds immediately.

[Atlas Sneezed]

There was another thread yesterday with an aerial photo showing a wetlands preserve just off the end of the runway.

Can anyone direct me to it?

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Ah, but think: The tinfoil crowd now has something they can say the government is lying to them about(for years and years)! Be happy for them. This is what they live for -- it's a great time for them.

The nuclear suitcase thing hasn't worked out too well for them. President Bush's failed war in Afghanistan turned into a route for the good side almost overnight. All the bridges in the west are still standing. Even the Anthrax thing, which held so much promise of the government lying to us all, turned into a fizzle.

But now all these people can finally be happy again -- here's something for the government to lie to us about! It's very important in these troubled times for people to be happy. And these people just can't be happy unless the government is lying to them about something.

/sarcasm

[LSJohn]

"No tern shall be left unstoned"

ROFLMAO

[Sabertooth]

We will make no distinction between birds and the nations that harbor them.

'Bout damn time somone had the courage to say that.

[4CJ]

Why were the birds on strike?

[ScreamingFist]

"Of course they don't, the test cell is designed to observe events that would represent many scenarios, including a worst case. Since volkswagens aren't likely to be found at cruising altitude, they just use frozen turkeys"

A mil-spec bird is un-frozen, perhaps they do something different with commercial birds. Lockheed used the infamous "chicken gun" to test the single piece canopy of the F-16 a few years back, mil-spec chicken (un-frozen, with feathers,feet head and legs) shot out of a steam powered cannon to velocities of 500 miles an hour. It's unbeliveable how much damage can occur from one bird.