Originally Posted by
Sailvi767
I doubt any engineer designed the rudder attachment to fail to protect the fuselage. It would be a really bizarre design feature given what happens when the vertical stab fails in flight.
Guess you meant the fin attachment? I agree that losing an engine pod in flight is one thing; losing the whole vertical-stabiliser a show-stopper. In which case the damage to the rear fuselage of the A321 is likely to be substantial, and I wonder if the whole fuselage may be compromised.
On the pilots' marginal view of its wingtips from the A333 cockpit: from my experience on large aeroplanes it's very difficult to judge if a wingtip is going to clear an obstruction by looking at it from the cockpit as you taxi towards it. The judgement has to be made from a distance and, if in any doubt, a wing-man consulted. In this case, as I understand it, the probability of collision should have been obvious before taxiing commenced.