I am a private pilot with 3500 hours. I have also discussed this event with my brother who is a retired Delta captain. This is the most plausible explantion yet for this crash.
You mean to say that the puddle of hydraulic fluid on the ground beneath you aircraft wouldnt give you pause? Wouldnt other pilots lining up for take-off be eyeballing your equipment?
A puddle yes. But a tiny hole drilled in a hydraulic line would hardly make a puddle. Even under pressure the stream would be small but steady. And there are plenty of places the fluid could pool within the engine narcell and not be visable from the outside.