Key piece of doomed jet found ( Air France 447 )

Agence France-Presse ^ | June 09, 2009

[george76]

A BRAZILIAN search team has recovered the tail fin from an Air France jet that plunged into the Atlantic a week ago, the first important piece of debris from the accident, officials said.

The Brazilian navy released photos showing four divers securing the half-submerged fin - also known as the vertical stabiliser - while another four helped from an inflatable rubber dinghy.

The find could be especially significant because it could point to the location underwater of the black boxes, which are mounted in the tail section of commercial aircraft.

It is hoped the boxes - the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder - could yield vital clues as to the reason of the crash.

[prismsinc]

BUSH’S FAULT!!!!!

[ltc8k6]

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/15df632ba3e43faee7ac6a75e6b477935g.jpg

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/d28f4f6b5d892a41ee45f8842e2300b25g.jpg

http://www.airliners.net/uf/536979610/12444833274kFxA0.jpeg

[jalisco555]

I feel sorry for the Brazilian sailors tasked with this recovery. What a grim and sad job it must be pulling bodies out of the ocean.

[jalisco555]

Really, totally uncalled for.

[Paladin2]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2267263/posts

[devane617]

not the time...besides, it’s getting old.

[Scythian]

Just embed the links as images, frustrating ...

[Dan(9698)]

The vertical fin could be separated some distance from the rest of the airplane, just like the one that crashed over New York.

If that was the first part to separate, the airplane would go some distance, and roll over into a spin. That would cause other parts such as engines, to separate.

That would then explain how all the parts are scattered wide.

[Steelfish]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267410/posts

[prismsinc]

Not to Zero. There was a story posted yesterday that Zero is STILL trying to blame Bush for the economy.

[ltc8k6]

Yes, having to do that manually sure is! :-) Whereas clicking on a link is easy.

[sam_paine]

[Snickering Hound]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_587

Airbus’s and their tails.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[ltc8k6]

That last illustration is a bit inaccurate compared to the later one. More of the tailfin has broken off and it appears to be at the fuselage joint rather than above it.

[stinkerpot65]

[PUGACHEV]

As it appears on the undamaged jet, the red stripe is about the same legnth as the bottom edge of the stabilizer where it attaches to the fuselage. On the detached stabilizer floating in the ocean, the red stripe is nowhere near that long, indicating to me that it is a piece broken off about midway up.

[sionnsar]

That doesn’t seem to be the same as the AA587 tail separation. This looks like the tail structure itself broke — perhaps when hitting the ocean?

[george76]

Found the vertical stabiliser

[ltc8k6]

I see a piece of the fuselage joint attached, so I think it broke at the joint. Those paint jobs can vary slightly.

[ltc8k6]

Looks like the end of the red line area on the damaged one is bent, which could account for the apparent difference.

[Palladin]

Remind me never to get on an Airbus.

[kik5150]

Interesting that this is not only the only structural part found, but it was found FLOATING, and may be the only piece they need to determine what happened.

[mowowie]

I hear that!

I quit completely last year when i discovered Southwest Airlines.

[TalonDJ]

That doesn’t seem to be the same as the AA587 tail separation.

It still has its rudder. So it is not even close to the same. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of the 'airbus tails just suddenly fall off' crowd.

[hattend]

Alaska Airlines is now an all Boeing 737 fleet as well

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops, thanks george76!

[sam_paine]

I’m not going to pass judgement on the vert stab yet. Whether it came off first and the rest of the plane broke up or if the breakup snapped the vert stab. Though it does worry me.

If there was any other airframe deterioration first, then all bets are off anyway. Not surprising that the tail could snap off in that case. Wonder what the airbus flight control comps (not auto-pilot, but low-level FBW laws....) try to do when part of the control surfaces are missing. Throw up their hands and “back to you, Mr. Pilot...you figure it out!!?!”

So as the investigation goes on, we’ll know better, which came first chicken or egg.

[sionnsar]

Wonder what the airbus flight control comps (not auto-pilot, but low-level FBW laws....) try to do when part of the control surfaces are missing. Throw up their hands and “back to you, Mr. Pilot...you figure it out!!?!”

Was reading something earlier that said that Boeing throws it to the pilot, but Airbus computers take control.