Interessant discusion, many valid points. But there is one issuse missing if you ask me. The 737-200 have underwing mounted engines, with no pylon. When that enigne failed (the P&W JT8) the engine was running at very high rpm, causing some very hot turbine pices to go straight through the engine houseing, and through the wing, like a bulit. That leaves a nice passage for fuel to go straight into the hot section, and ignite. To day, basicly every aircraft, that have underwing mounted engines, have the engines on pylons. No rotateing part of an engine (if an uncontained failure happens) will be able to pass through the fueltank, because the line from the last rotateing part, is in front of the fueltank, rather than straight below, like on the 737-200.
[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: Danish Pilot ]