Records: Plane Suffered Turbulence

AP ^ | 11-14-01 | JONATHAN D. SALANT

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON -- Safety records show the American Airlines plane that crashed in New York was severely shaken by air turbulence seven years earlier in an episode that injured 47 people.

One possibility safety investigators are considering is that the Airbus A300 broke apart Monday after hitting turbulence from the plane taking off before it at Kennedy International Airport.

[Colt .45]

OK ... I'll try to make this real simple for you. Wake turbulence, which is the vortexes of air that curl back from the wing tips take a period of time to dissipate. If a plane takes off before this turbulence (like two miniature horizontal tornadoes) dissipate, the second plane can be severelly buffeted by the turbulence created. They have had small planes crash on account of it, and there could've been enough turbulence created by the preceeding 747 to put enough lateral stress on the tail to shear it off. The NTSB has ruled out explosions, and bombs. No explosive residue has been found on any of the wreckage! Explosives always leave a fingerprint residue (i.e. chemical compound) ... this is my area of knowledge! I work with them!

I have worked in the aviation field for 19 years, I have worked with safety investigations and know how they work. These people are trained to painstakingly examine everything before rendering a judgement. It is a process of elimination.

At no time have I ever said I completely discount sabotage, BUT there must be conclusive proof of it. None has been brought forth. So until they have proof of this being a human caused mishap ... it remains an accident.

[Old Professer]

I don't believe they "magnaflux" aluminum.

[Preech1]

It was Rodan I tell you...Rodan flew over at Mach 1.5 and the wave of turbulence caused the crash...and he was flying so fast no one saw him...just the POPPING sound of his sonic boom...Where's Godzilla when you need him...

[Map Kernow]

The NTSB has ruled out explosions, and bombs.

Where's your source for this? Nothing I've seen in the NTSB briefings supports this conclusive statement. Give us a clickable source.

[Highcard2U]

Good idea. However, since it is sometimes cheaper for a corp. like American Airlines to pay damages to heirs of the passengers who die in crashes, don't you think that they (American Airlines) will continue to falsify documents to keep down costs?

[gore3000]

2) Ground all AB300s. "

They have not done this, they have not even mentioned it. Other times where even a hint of mechanical failure occurred all planes of the same type have been grounded and ordered inspected.

They also seem to have just noticed - after two days of telling us that the answer is in the flight recorder that the flight recorder is inoperable. It took them two days to find out it did not work??????

[gore3000]

The problem with this newest explanation is that it in no way accounts for the engine just plain falling off the plane.

[Defender2]

Here's a little lesson in aerodynamics. Todays airplane consist of a fuselage, wings, horizontal stabililizers, vertical stabilizers. the wings provide lift. the horizontal stabilizers provide pitch axis control(elevation). The vertical stabilizer provides Yaw axis control(rudder). The wings provide lift and attached to these wings are ailerons(or spoilers)which provide Roll Control. If an aircraft travelling at speed encounters a severe change in angle of attack in any of the axis's(Pitch,roll or yaw) design gust loads may be exceeded causing certain parts of the aircraft to rip off, such as a vertical stabilizer, wing, radome, wintip. Are you all starting to understand. In other words if certain design roll, pitch or yaw angles or combination of these are exceeded, let's include "G" limitations are exceeded, structural failure may result. Now the Question Remains, what caused a severe rapid change in angle of attack causing the subsequent inflight breakup of the aircraft?

[Lower55]

And if the whole horizontal stabilizer moves, and not just the elevators, it is called a stabilator.

[Shooter 2.5]

You don't know a thing about the Warren Commission.

[Lower55]

These vortices flow from the wing tips like waves from a boat. A plane taking off two minutes after has nothing to worry about.

[Denver Ditdat]

In this case, it looks like the entire tail section is covered.

Good pic! I stand corrected.

[Lower55]

I think you've got ti. The paint! I have paint on my car, and it won't fly at all. Therefore paint is just not aerodynamic!

[185JHP]

Keeping your seat belt fastened is a good idea when flying. I read about a pilot unfastening his belt, hitting rough air, and being bounced up to crack the top of his head on the overhead of the cockpit - he was blinded and crashed the plane.