Originally Posted by
Raptor Systems TT
If those reports are half accurate,severe big bird strikes rendering engines and some control surfaces inoperable coupled with a relatively inexperienced crew not being able to manage the sudden crisis ?
**This comment is an assessment based solely on assuming the eyewitness reports were accurate.
The evidence from the crash site clearly indicated a very high energy impact that can only have been created by an impact very substantially in excess of terminal velocity. This in turn indicates that the engines must have been running with high output, which is inconsistent with a bird strike. Damage to control surfaces to the extent required to make the airframe unflyable is also inconsistent with any possible bird strike.
As you say, eyewitnesses can be unreliable.