Have you been able to correlate this with the reported gusset corrosion (pictures) in the MDOT report? I have to head out and will check the replies later. Thanks.
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Closeups of the east truss top chord indicate it fractured just into the gusset assembly, but it's hard to see whether this occurred in the bolt array or just south of it.
The viewing angles aren't the best, mostly with the top face broadside to the camera, and the east and west faces edge on to the camera, but there is clearly a straight line demarcation where the green paint ends and heavy rust begins.
Other images of other members show black paint where the gussets were, but my gut feeling from looking at the inmages is that the visible fracture took place just inside the southern edges of the U6 gusset.
If you twist my arm, I'm liable to even say it let go at the first bolt line in the array, but that's because I can deny all claims made under duress.
Like you, I haven't been ignoring NTSB's claim of a "gusset design error". At the time it was issued, someone looked at the blueprints and said "Whoa! This is not good!". It's not a statement to forget about, but the images make it hard to say for sure.
Here, what do you think?
