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Air France tail found. Wow looks like a clean break....

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That looks a lot like AA587's tail. I'm a bus guy but I'm not smart enough to know what faults would be generated if the vertical stab separated in flight. The first acars messages were as followed (this list was borrowed from another site):

02:10Z:
Autothrust off
Autopilot off
FBW alternate law
Rudder Travel Limiter Fault
TCAS fault due to antenna fault
Flight Envelope Computation warning
All pitot static ports lost

02:11Z:
Failure of all three ADIRUs \
Failure of gyros of ISIS (attitude information lost)

02:12Z:
ADIRUs Air Data disagree

02:13Z:
Flight Management,
Guidance and Envelope Computer fault PRIM 1 fault SEC 1 fault

02:14Z:
Cabin Pressure Controller fault (cabin vertical speed)

The sequence and type of messages could be explained by the loss of the vertical stab. Now the question becomes what caused the stab failure? (If that in fact is what happened)

:-(
 
Is this the same type of plane that lost its tail over queens in NY right after 9-11?

Makes you wondering if they exaggerated that story about the FO horsing around with the rudder to cover up for poor design by the French? I sure wouldn't put it past the modern P.C. version of "international goodwill."

-Too early to judge, but damn if that whole thing didn't just break right off-just like that American crash over queens.
 
Is this the same type of plane that lost its tail over queens in NY right after 9-11?

Makes you wondering if they exaggerated that story about the FO horsing around with the rudder to cover up for poor design by the French? I sure wouldn't put it past the modern P.C. version of "international goodwill."

-Too early to judge, but damn if that whole thing didn't just break right off-just like that American crash over queens.

Nope. The AA aircraft was an A300, AF is an A330. Totally different animals.
 
Nope. The AA aircraft was an A300, AF is an A330. Totally different animals.

Not that different in regards to the tale.

Same company built both planes and I think both tails are composit tails?
 
Both the 330 and 300 are composite. What will be tell-tale is where the vert stab/rudder is located in proximity to the rest of the wreckage.

Then you end up with the question of whether the accident was causedby it separating or whether the already dying/dead airplane caused the tail to separate.... or whether it was just sheered off when it impacted the water.

Regardless.... that is a super clean break and the rudder even remained intact.
 

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