Originally Posted by
flyers29
My favorite is when they interview those jokers on the ground who saw the plane. Did anyone else ever read that poll where only a small percentage of people knew the difference between a jet and a turboprop, let alone have the slightest clue on what wake turbulence can do? Just because Joe Blow thinks he saw something doesn't make it so.
Yes. Even trained, experienced observers have trouble producing a consistent description of events like this. The average person on the street...useless.
Also there are at least three other A300/310 aircraft that are known to have experienced serious structural malfunctions in the vertical tail assembly...including an Air-Transat flight which lost it's rudder in cruise flight a couple years ago
I think the root cause of the AA587 accident is crystal clear, although airbus has seriously downplayed the whole thing.