FBI: Explosion Aboard Airbus

CNN | 11/12/01

[dep]

CNN quotes the White House, to wit: The FBI believes there was an explosion aboard the American Airlines A-300 which crashed this morning in Queens, NY. They are investigating in an attempt to learn the source of the explosion.

[angkor]

Easy,people.

Agreed. If there was even a remote suggestion of terrorism, why did Reagan National continue with landing and departing flights unabated all morning?

[Greenpointer]

You're welcome. I have no opinion right now. Way too early.

[Smogger]

No, that was a massive hydraulic loss on a United DC-10 where the pilots could not control the flaps or the spoilers to slow down the plane or the rudder to turn the plane, the engines were fine

How I remember it was that the rear engine failed and shrapnel from the turbines damaged the hydraulic system.

[biblewonk]

Light travels faster than sound, don't ya know.

And sound travels slightly faster than a protozoa.

[watchin]

Does it bother anyone else that this happened in Mike Moran's neighborhood? Maybe it's just coincidence, but Moran's statement inspired courage in the face of terrorism - thereby making him a target.

It would make sense, I think. I hope I'm wrong, and if I am, I'll see if I can post a picture with my tinfoil hat on.

[Shermy]

I don't know the thread, but here's a Hindustan Times story.

HindustantimesStory

.

As always, the front page of the Hindustan Times is well designed with convenient links to stories very interesting and worth a visit.

Hindustan Times Front Page

[Reborn]

I would guess there are Muslims working in maintenance.

Yes indeed. There are many ways to bring down a plane. I sure hope that since 9/11 the maintenance crews or any others who come in contact with our planes are looked over very closely.

[epow]

A mechanical problem seems improbable.

Why? What inside information do you base that statement on? Maybe we should wait until the flight recorder is found and analyzed before we start spreading rumors about terrorists, which is exactly what OBL & co would love to see happen.

Accidents do happen you know, and not every disaster is the work of terrorists. But the terrorists are very happy to have you believe they are. If we believe that every disaster that happens is the work of terrorists, they don't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the show.

[angkor]

he said it is a classic unducted fan blade mishap which blew the engine off,

I just did a google search on the phrase "plane crash engine blew apart". There were 3,020 hits, and an uncountable number of references to this sort of engine mishap.

[kevin]

If this is the case, those guys that make the little Bin Laden games and songs better heads up;)

[Justa]

Thanks, sounds reasonable.



Thanks, sounds reasonable.

[Salman]

Eyewitness:"I didn't hear an explosion at first when I saw the metal fall. I heard an explosion about a minute and a half later," she said.

The engine came away before the explosion

How far away was the eyewitness? Light travels faster than sound.

• Speed of light: Approximately instantaneous.
• Speed of sound: Approximately 760mph at 55 degrees F = 12 1/3 miles per minute
  (depends on temperature, slower if colder).

So that if the eyewitness was 12 1/3 * 1.5 = 19 miles away, this is consistent with the explosion happening when the engine fell off. Call it 20 miles, and the explosion could have happened a bit before.