NO SIGNS OF ENGINE FAILURE!

FOX News

[X-Servative]

At the NTSB press conference, they just stated that both engines appear to be intact and that there are no signs of engine failure, according to George Black, NTSB Boardmember.

[CathyRyan]

I guess it is like when doctors say "there" instead of oops.

[E-2K]

Did anyone else hear any of the eyewitnesses on the radio yesterday? I happened to fly to Austin and upon arriving turned on the radio to hear Canadian citizen 10th grade drop out Peter Jennings say, "...Oh we now have the eyewitness on the phone?? Tell us what you saw." A very articulate lady told of walking her dog with her husband, looking out across Jamaica Bay on a beautiful fall morning and watching the doomed plane climb out. She said that as she and her husband watched and enjoyed the tranquility of the morning, a bright flash and explosion occurred at the wing root on the right side. She went on to describe how parts then began falling and the aircraft seemed to loose airspeed, stall and plummet into Queens.

This report was the first I heard of the incident. My buddy and I speculated that it sounds like a baggage compartment explosion. A few moments later, all the media outlets began to report that it was a mechanical failure, no reason to suspect anything other than a mechanical. Did anyone else hear this very articulate lady on the air? I have been puzzled by the disappearance of her account.

[rit]

I thought so at first, but the fact that the engines landed within 2 blocks of the frame indicate otherwise. The engines have different weight mass. Assuming horizontal trajectory, wouldn't they have had to land in significantly different location from the frame?

[michigander]

You're welcome!

[ginoson]

They're the same ones who tell you to get the tin foil out every time you make the REASONABLE assumption that terrorists are going to perform terrorist attacks. They were out in full force with their stupid chicken little graphics and denigrating comments about anthrax until postal workers started dying. Now that it appears that there will be no easy explanation for this crash they'll keep low until the next terrorist attack. At which time they'll once again take upon themselves to tell us all how stupid and hysterical we are while they make their silly and assinine jokes. It's like some of them are paid by the gov't to push the party line.

Kinda like the clinton followers who have been laying low now that we know this mess we are in was caused by that bumbling idiot. You clinton butt kissers should walk proud.

[wi jd]

I Can't Stand It I Know You Planned It I'm Gonna Set It Straight, This Watergate I Can't Stand Rocking When I'm In Here Because Your Crystal Ball Ain't So Crystal Clear So While You Sit Back and Wonder Why I Got This F***ing Thorn In My Side Oh My, It's A Mirage I'm Tellin' Y'all It's Sabotage

NOOOOOW, here's a little story, I got to tell
About 3 bad brothers you know so well . . .

[Positive]

Guiliani answered the "what is a security delay" question in a press conference yesterday. He said it is a delay caused by the new security procedures put in at the airports.

I took it to mean that all of the ticketed passengers couldn't be boarded in time for the scheduled take off time.

[Slainte]

Target of opportunity, perhaps? If you play out a sabotage theory, it would have to be someone who had access to the aircraft. If you are a maintence worker or a member of the ground crew intent on bringing down an aircraft, I would think that the number of aircraft you would have access to would be limited by wherever you were assigned at the start of your shift. Even if you had access to all areas, you wouldn't have free run of the place. If the boss told you to do your job over at that particular aircraft, that becomes your opportunity. I don't think the destination is the primary motivator at that point, it's the ability to inflict terror, and to demonstrate that you can, and will bring down aircraft at will.

Even if you consider a plane bound for the Dominican Republic a secondary target, there's still the aspect of hitting us where we least expect it. Could there be a lapse in security because of your base assumption, that it's not in the terrorists modus operendi to hit a plane bound for Santa Domingo? I'd hope not, but at this point we don't know.

Lot's we don't know at this point, but you can spin it out seven ways from Sunday and come up with suspicions that aren't easily dismissed.

[nicmarlo]

Did anyone else hear this very articulate lady on the air? I have been puzzled by the disappearance of her account.

I did. And what you described is true to what I recall her saying. And yes, she was articulate.

[FITZ]

I didn't state it very well, after yesterday when it was just assumed from the start before any investigation that it was just an accident caused by engine failure, I hope now they will investigate thoroughly every possibility. Leave no stone unturned until they get to the bottom of it.

[Tony in Hawaii]

Looking at the debris pattern, it's suggested that the rudder and vertical stabilizer came off first. With that event, the center-of-gravity would go forward; the nose would pitch downward. Under normal circumstances, a pilot would apply aft pressure to the yoke, trying to raise the nose. However, the rudder separation damage would have taken out all the hydraulic systems (no flight controls remaining - including pitch-trim). Hence, engine power would have been the only remaining control - ala UA-232. This assumes that the rudder was the exclusive damage in the tail.

Loss of the vertical stabilizer wouldn't affect the CG of the aircraft in any meaningful way.

Loss of the vertical stabilizer, however, would most likely lead to a "dutch roll" condition in which the aircraft would swing violently from side to side, which can (and has in the past) cause the engines to break away.

The real question now is, what would cause the vertical stabilizer to break off as cleanly as it did with no damage whatsoever to the stabilizer itself. There's not a scratch in it.

And, where's the horizontal stabilizer? Inquiring minds want to know! :)

[justlurking]

They are sayin it was delayed 74 min. for security not mechanical

If this holds up under scrutiny (unlike most of the "revelations" about this incident over the past two days), it's probably not an indication of anything wrong.

The airlines are currently required to perform random sweeps of aircraft after passengers have deplaned and before the next flight boards. I don't know the criteria for selection, but there's no notice.

If there is a true concern about a lapse in security, they have typically cancelled the flight altogether.

[okie01]

> Well, if it is terrorism, why cover it up anyway? Why hide this? What's the point?

"Because it is damned embarrassing...while the Dembopublicans fight all the day long over Airport Security."

But, if it is terrorism, why have the terrorists not taken this golden opportunity to embarrass the Dembopublicans?

Especially as their compadres are receiving a severe ass-whuppin' in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda could probably use a big morale transplant right about now...

Were it a terrorist event, the odds would seem to favor their shouting it from the rooftops. To Allah...and ABCNBCCBSCNNal-Jazeera

[SerpentDove]

>>To suggest that some schmuck saying "there is no evidence" is prima facie evidence of a coverup is ludicrous.<<

It is strange to me that they choose the phrase "there is no evidence."

It seems to imply that they have come to a conclusion. Why not, rather, say, "We are investigating to see what happened"? But that is not what they say.They say "There is no evidence to suggest..."which is in my best estimation aimed at conveying a message that terrorists are not responsible.

Now, they may well be doing this to "avoid a national panic." But when they say "There is no evidence..."while the plane parts are too hot to be touched with oven mitts and they have not recovered a black box or flight data recorder, it insults my intelligence.

It's almost like they think we're three years old.

[DittoJed2]

But both engines and the tail section, like all together??? It does appear the tail section flew off first cause of where they found it.

[eno_]

So the question is: has every Arab airport worker been hauled in today and made to explain himself and his possible radical tendencies? Are we really serious or are we still in the business of sacrificing our people to political correctness? Arabs in the U.S. are a clear and present danger. Deport every one of them that is here illegally now, revoke all the remaining visas and green cards tommorow, and put a bright light on every one that is a naturalized citizen to see if they got that way fraudulently.

[DittoJed2]

I have heard left side fire coming out of the armpit of the wing.

[michigander]

Also, if you mistakenly pull back on the yolk while inverted... Ouch!

[Cachelot]

this could only mean one thing! Birds with tools!!! But is that possible? Nah!!

Islamic birds with tools??