The flotation system was fully flight tested during the design phase, and in flight deployment was covered.
Ditching Tests were also carried out using scale models.
There IS an issue ongoing with regard to inadvertant activation of the floats, related to the activation device itself.
These are facts. Whether or not the EFS system was armed is unclear. whether there was an inadvertant deployment is unclear, however this aircraft had the 3 float system, two fwd and one aft, if the tail cone broke off as has been SUGGESTED, then that leaves two bags and a ruddy great hole.. ergo, the EFS, by virtue of the fact that it relies on a certain amount of inherent buoyancy in the aircraft itself, hadn't a hope in hell of keeping the fuselage on the surface, notwithstanding any other system / structural damage caused by impact.
Emergency Flotation works well in a controlled ditching, however in a high force impact, where severe structural damage is sustained, it's about as much use as a snooze button on a smoke detector.
RIP all the victims of the tragedy.
AA
