evidence - read !
Yet another dozen pages added to this thread because a few contributors refuse to read or otherwise ignore the "evidence" to date that BEA brings forward in its preliminary report which leads BEA to declare it is likely that the aircraft hit the water intact.
Allow me to paste here some quotes from pages 38 to 40 of the said report:
"The identified debris thus comes from all the areas of the plane."
"Part of the radome was found, representing approximately a fifth of its
circumference along its upper part."
"The galley, identified as G2, located at the level of door 2 on the right-hand
side, was not very distorted. Baskets and racks were compressed in the lower
part of both galley carts."
"The distortions observed in the metal vertical reinforcements of a toilet door
showed evidence of significant compressive forces."
"Fragments of the walls of the flight crew rest module were crumpled and
those of the ceiling were deformed downwards. The floor was curved under
the effect of a strong upward pressure from below. The connecting brackets
between the floor and the walls were bent backwards."
"Observations of the tail fin and on the parts from the passenger (galley, toilet
door, crew rest module) showed that the airplane had likely struck the surface
of the water in level flight, with a high rate vertical acceleration."
Assuming on what was there in terms of clues at the time of the publication of the report, I gues this sounds all perfecty plausible. To doubt the official investigating body and contrary to BEA's concrete findings speculate otherwise on NO evidence at all is irresponsible and a waste of space.
The final report will take into account all clues and evidence that has and, for now, will become available, hopefully when the wreckage and the recorders are found.