JD-EE
Mornin'. Not far back I think I made some points that may bear review. I think assuredly the linear arrangement of the debris has no relationship to the direction of this a/c's nose at water impact. A visual would be a look at the Schiphol accident.
Vertical velocity constrained the distribution of wreckage at impact. There was no time for pieces to 'skip' fly, or otherwise translate far away. The engines sank right away, at likely the highest velocity down of almost all the other stuff.
Depending on configuration, mass, and density, if there was no current, the system would be distributed with the engines in the center (The beginning), and increasing radii away would include a roughly even (and ~concentric) distribution of debris. There was a current which accounted for what we see as "spread", and it is tempting to assume that the orientation of the wreckage faithfully reports the "heading" of the flight at cntact with thje Sea. This is one of the fallacies of BEA's use of the words "En Ligne de Vol". This a/c was not flying, It was falling, and had not a heading, it had a trajectory, as any ballistic agglomeration of falling masses has.
We think that the direction of horizontal movement was WSW from the wreckage on the Sea floor ?? That is simplistic, since we know the distribution was current affected, and the current was responsible for the aspect of the Debris Field. The surface collection was current affected as well, also wind blown. So distribution was not influenced by nose pointing.
Any horizontal path of this a/c was immediately stopped by the dramatic "turn" this port engine low a/c experienced the second it hit. Google Groundloop, or watch the video of Sully's abrupt stop on the water's surface, or the hijacked 767, or BA038's rapid right, etc.
takata may be correct, but if so, the reciprocal would be as likely also, Again, the engines "begin" the trail, and lighter stuff is deposited "beyond" by the current, as it is the current that distributes the wreckage, not some "memory" of a (nonexistent) distribution at the surface, 2.3
miles above it.
This is my take, and of course it may be incorrect, perhaps embarrassingly so.
most respect,
bear
post
#853 I tried to pattern it after your skill in describing (modelling)
Lazerdog Point well made, and noted.
