More knowledge
Speculation is not a dirty word. There is a time for it and that time is now. There is a mystery about China Airlines Flight 611 and we are all on level ground with any ideas. As far as ‘experts’ go, good, let them do what they have to do and let us ‘nonexperts’ do what we have to do.
I offer as an example of ‘nonexperts’ the Campbells of New Zealand whose son died in United Airlines Flight 811 in February 1989. Only through their efforts was the actual cause (cargo door) of the hull rupture of an early model Boeing 747 in flight that had a sudden sound followed by a power cut to the recorders (sound familiar) retrieved from the bottom of the ocean and, sure enough, the experts from NTSB, Boeing, United, etc, were wrong, wrong, wrong. The experts at NTSB had to write an entirely new AAR, 92/01, to supercede the old wrong one.
They were motivated. I am motivated. Those of us that contribute to this forum with ideas, facts, rebuttals, speculation, and even sarcasm, are motivated. We care. Indifference is the enemy. Let those who wish to wait a few years, read the press reports, hear the rumors, and then think they know what happened, let them do what they want to do.
I object to those indifferent persons suggesting to us who care that we become indifferent also as in ‘Hey!... here's a novel idea. How about saving all this keyboard stroking until the investigation is over” and ‘So why don't we just wait until all the pieces are found to enable the assembly of the jigsaw?’ and ‘On the other hand I do agree that there is way too much speculation and agenda seeking throughout PPrune regarding investigations with little facts.’
Note that the goal of the authors above is that we ‘speculators’ we who put up web sites with data points and possible interpretations, we who beg for information from those on the scene like Firehorse for some hard data, we who research past accident reports for clues, we should shut up. We should wait. We should stop talking, typing, and in effect, stop thinking.
Now, I’ve been thinking of motives of why those of us who contribute with ideas to solve the mystery of China Airlines Flight 611 do what we do.
My motive is I am a survivor of a sudden fatal jet airplane crash whose life was saved by my pilot who died. I am repaying a debt to him.
Would I be as interested in a train crash? No. A ship sinking? No. How about a robot cargo early model Boeing 747 with no one on board that takes off and has an inflight breakup at 34000 feet about a half hour after takeoff which leaves a sudden sound on the CVR and quick power cut to the recorders? Yes.
So it is the accident to the airplane itself that interests me most. Why did the plane come apart in the air? There are only a few finite realistic possibilities. All can be ruled in or out by examination of evidence.
Dear Firehorse, what is the examination of the three most likely areas of a hull rupture for China Airlines Flight 611, the forward and aft cargo door midspan latches and the aft pressure bulkhead?
Please don't let the door slam shut on the details of the civilian air crash in peacetime with no military or secret connections.
A little knowledge is very important because it leads to a lot of knowledge.