The report by The Sun, that the aircraft took three or four attempts to take off, are they suggesting three or four take off rolls, with a taxi back to the take off point, it is bizarre and makes me think back to the Munich disaster. I cant imagine a pilot attempting more than two take off runs, and that would be very rare and with good reason. Again a take off roll with a few hops again would be unlikely. As for any reasons behind such a departure such as being overweight, contaminated flying surfaces, engine malfunction or incorrect configuration, this could not happen to the worst pilot on his worst day, could it? Not least it might cause suspicion to ATC or recall back to the apron/stand.
An interesting suggestion that the aircraft may have pressed on to Cardiff, placing the crash site anywhere in the English Channel, Bristol Channel, Exmoor or Dartmoor. It would be interesting to know what exactly the radar traces reveal.
Last edited by anchorhold; 24th Jan 2019 at 06:51.