and no, Smithm, no apology needed here..
I have followed this thread as much as possible and understandably much is quite technical but I have a simple question, can bad weather alone bring down a modern airliner?
Absolutely, YES..
and modern or not does not have anything to do with it..
EVERY plane can be flown into a weather situation that will break it..
weather has always and will always be a prime factor
unfortunately it is us, in the industry, that need to remind ourselves of these facts... sometimes they seem to be forgotten..