Friday, June 26, 2009



But the picture painted by the fin floating almost undamaged in the Atlantic is much clearer. It broke off in one piece, and maps of debris distribution suggest that it could have been the first thing to go. The pilots may have been controlling the airplane manually, having bypassed the computers because of the electronic problems. If, as seems likely, they were in turbulent weather, they would have had their hands full, and they may possibly have over-controlled in just the way that the American Airlines pilot did in 2001.

This is pure -- and premature -- speculation. But it is not speculative to observe that some vertical fins are weaker than they should be, and that this is because of the regulations that govern how airplanes are built. The FAA, together with its international counterparts, should amend certification requirements for future aircraft to restore to the maneuvering speed the safety status that pilots always believed it had. The rules that govern the structural integrity of airliners should not include asterisks.

... losing a stabilizer is certainly a recipe for disaster ...


# posted by intcoex : 10:00 PM




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