BJ-ENG
I think it more likely that if at impact, the VS separated and was thrown back.
The Pressure vessel terminates at the Aft Bulkhead, and the a/c essentially flies (and crashes) in close formation with the Tail. If tail first, the dynamics of Hydraulic action would emanate differently than at the Fuselage, not to mention the likelihood that the Tail may have completely separated from the body at impact. If there was a separation at impact, the angle of attachment would grow progressively more acute, suffering the remaining structure to progessively separate from its closest neighbors still connected to the hull. The fuselage, having acted in essence as a giant airbag, would accelerate the loss of velocity of the fuselage as the tail continued. If the body 'rebounded' (that certainly would need explanation), the tail may have been 'rejected' (rather emphatically) by the Fuse and the VS pulled itself loose from the forward lug/bracket and flew backwards to escape corruption by a presence in the chaotic debris of the main impact area. This would basically (sic) explain the damage to the VS' LE via contact with the dorsal area of the fuselage at initial deceleration, (the tail having 'folded over' this area) and the corrupted corner of the Rudder as the Fin/Rudder rolled over the tail cone in aft fashion with the violent pull on the empennage by the fuselage remaining essentially near the surface after initial contact.
jcjeant
What is seductive to me is some verbiage expressed by the BEA that may lead to false assumptions.
It seems completely apparent that 447 departed controlled flight. The late portion of the fall by BEA's description is of a free fall with some horizontal component, and a slight lateral rotation of the airframe, with the a/c essentially intact.
There was no aerodynamic flight.
447's trajectory was down, and her hull had no heading, by their own explanation. Intact, this aircraft's nose would have a heading only after all its rotation had ceased. It's nose was unwinding the compass' rose in a left rotation, laterally.
There was no heading.
No Flight, No Heading. No "En Ligne de Vol". I wager 98 per cent of the reading public think the aircraft was in controlled flight on her way to Paris when by misfortune she hit the water.
Words have meaning.