Originally Posted by
DaveReidUK
The NTSB briefing makes it clear that the decision to deploy only Flap 5 for the landing was due to consideration of potential controllability issues.
Which was one of the smartest decisions made by the crew. Remember the ELAL1862 incident where slats were damaged by the engines being ripped off. This may very well have produced a similar scenario of uncontrollability at lower speeds while deploying flaps/slats.
Excellent crew (both flight and cabin), and soooo sad about the loss of life.