Warning: I'm non-professional; not crew, not engineer - just scientist guest and thanks.
I've only speed-read the report so far but wanted to make a couple of points.
Previously I wrote,
The AAIB might not issue such a document until:
1) the northern hemisphere, summer, holiday season has passed,
2) the Beijing Olympics are over,
3) all interested parties are in agreement with the need for restrictions,
4) and, the AAIB has determined that its investigations are unlikely to find a cause and solution before winter.
Some here took exception to these remarks, especially the point about the Beijing Olympics. I want to reiterate that I was trying to think as the AAIB might and was not being sensational just for the sake of some silly notoriety on this thread. I now suggest we can applaud the AAIB's professionalism and look forward to industry-wide support for sensible restrictions this coming winter.
On another matter. The AAIB interim report states (Water ice in fuel, p12),
As the fuel temperature is further reduced, it reaches the Critical Icing Temperature, which is the temperature at which the ice crystals will start to stick to their surroundings. When the fuel temperature reduces to approximately ‑18°C (0°F), the ice crystals adhere to each other and become larger. Below this temperature little is known about the properties of ice crystals in fuel and further research may be required to enable the aviation industry to more fully understand this behaviour.
I read this with disbelief. The words, "little is known" is, well, shocking.
Until today I had thought that the industry had fully experimented, tested and evaluated the effects of temperature on fuel (at all operating ranges).
By the way, my money is still on stratification ( no, don't respond to this; I need to read the report more carefully and may change my mind).
Regards, Tanimbar