[Daus]

NEW QUESTION!!!

Given this information.... How did the engines come off the airplane? I can see a lateral push knocking off an already damaged VERTICAL tail.... but what about the engines?

The afore mentioned ocillation?

[Born to Conserve]

According the the reports of witnesses (pilots), the plane was in a flat spin by the time it hit the ground. The centrifugal forces could get large, and would be acting in a direction that the engine mounts were not designed for.

[Starrgaizr]

As for engines falling off, was there a report of the plane's speed as it plummeted? Crew ordered full power; if in nosedive, it could have reached never-exceed speed if starting from high enough, perhaps transsonic. That could cause a world of hurt to a subsonic plane in uncontrolled, uncoordinated flight. Might not have been high enough, though. Anyone know?

[Solson]

Yes, that would be part of it. The other part is the design. an aircraft engine attachment is designed to withstand certain loads in certain conditions. If severe vibration occurs, these pylons are not designed to withstand that sort of force. Morover, couple that with loads coming from other places and these engines, probably any engine would detach.

It's like an I-beam. It's designed to withstand a large load bearing in a certain position. However, stand it on end and it will fail under a much less load factor.