Originally Posted by
md80fanatic
Is it so much a stretch to backtrace the flight's path from this historic image?
No, but it'd be much easier to work from the tire tracks and debris on the runway. Which is what the investiagtion did, all nicely laid out with timeline cvr etc. in appendix 12 of the report:
http://www.bea-fr.org/docspa/2000/f-...ppendix12p.pdf
As to previous poster's theories - yes they went off to the left, yes they took out runway lights, but after the tire burst debris, and in fact
after they were already seen to be on fire.
Even if the missing spacer casued the track to the left, and without that failure they kept straight and got to Vr, they are still trying to fly with broken (struck down) gear, one engine on fire, shutdown, and the one next to it compromised. Even if they got enough height and speed to cope with the thrust asymmetry, they are still doomed because the fire would have melted the wing.