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.

[Wolfhound77]

I wonder which NTSB member was sent on the errand to find and kill the birds to bring back to the investigators to plant in the engines? Where is PETA when you need them?

[loveliberty]

The break-up occurred at about ten thousand feet, the aerodynamics of the separated parts is going to be the biggest factor on where they ended up landing.

Sigh...about that physics lesson--the NTSB says the plane only reached an altitude of about 2,800 feet. Oh, well, we can't be perfect!

[Asmodeus]

The tinfoil hat conspiracy theory skinheads will love this development:

Flight data recorder damaged.

[Nimitz]

If you knew how NEW the GE90 is, and what a priviledge it is to be selected to work on a new, sucessful platform, you'd realize how LONG 2.5 years is on that product. Tie me a knot.....Bootcamp.

[Colt .45]

Gee ... a whole two point five years!

Well I am just standing in awe of your superior knowledge, you cretin. And as for my being a bootcamp, not hardly ... but then look at who I'm replying to someone who probably couldn't make it in the military.

But in reply to that last little jab of yours I'll fire this back at you ... if I lent any credibility to your rantings, I would be a bootcamp.

[patriciaruth]

Talked to an airline Captain I know, and he said a few interesting things.

1. He won't bid the Airbus. Says the computer will override the Captain in extreme situations and will not allow you to fly out of extreme danger situations.

2. The pin that holds the rudder on is made of plastic composite. It was done instead of aluminum because it is lighter weight and just as strong. However, Captain says, the failure of such material is poorly understood. It can degenerate from UV light, hence it can only be painted white. It can go fine for five years or so and then suddenly go from 99% strength to 20% without warning.

3. Most American Airline airbus planes are flying to the Islands because they can haul large cargo packages and are money makers on those routes even without passenger loads. They aren't flying many or any other routes.

4. The planes that were recently retired from AA fleet due to cutting routes were Boeing planes that were scheduled for retirement in the next couple years anyway, but could be brought back to replace airbus planes if AA grounds the airbus fleet. Look for that to happen.

5. He conjectures that the rudder started to come loose from failure of the Von epoxy (whatever I can't remember) material of the pin, and it was the rudder flapping that causes the airframe shudder, not wake turbulence. Then the torque of finally losing the rudder completely stressed the plane to the point that the engines came loose and one maybe took a wing with it. The Captain couldn't override the computer to do the drastic action necessary to regain semblance of control in those circumstances.

[Tennessee_Bob]

You've got freepmail. Makes more sense with regards to damage done and breakup inflight than a catastrophic engine failure. A twisting vertical stab could impart a lot of torque to the aircraft prior to departing the airframe. Anyways, I can hear the hounds baying now. Talk to you later.

[UCANSEE2]

According to all the info I have seen on various posts, articles, etc., The explanation in your post is the one I vote for as BEING CLOSEST TO THE REALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED.

Also that info that the vertical tail was composed of carbon-fiber composite, and the attachment area was fractured/frayed at original install. They laid a area patch over it and let it go.

[patriciaruth]

They laid an area patch over it and let it go.

My airline Captain friend doesn't like French airliner computers or French design/built airplanes, including Concorde.

I didn't call him up right away to ask him about this one because he has a lot of responsibilities right now and I didn't think hammering him with another airline disaster would be good for his morale, but I noted the news tonight was beginning to catch up to his thinking on this one.