Originally Posted by
Capt Quentin McHale
My 2 cents worth people,
Looking at those marks on the engines, there is no way those marks are due to contact with the runway/ground.
May I remind you of these words once the final report is out?
If there was contact, there would be some rather large obvious flat spots under those engines.
Those cowlings are only thin covers. Underneath is the massive structure designed to contain fan/turbine blades in case of separation.
The cowling material will probably tear away and the structure underneath will remain circular. I don't think what we see in those pictures contradicts a contact with the runway. Anyway the final report will tell us the truth.
The angle of those marks at the trailing edge of both engine cold stream ducts would indicate that not only half of the engine exhaust cones should be missing/ground away, BUT half of the rear fuselage as well !!! IMHO.
the black marks on the side towards the rear of the cowlings have not necessarily contacted the tarmac itself. That could be sooting from the heat or oil stain.