Where is the THS?
Tubby,
Since you first commented on absence of a THS label on the BEA image, I've mowed my lawns and had dinner. And still no response... The THS, one of the key players in this matter, is conspicuous by its absence.
This is my first "take" on the labelled debris. If one makes the tentative assumption that the engines, APU and (perhaps) THS screw-jack are the closest to where they were at the sea-level impact point, that the aeroplane did not bounce, that the large parts became detached from each other within a second, and that the under-surface currents had more time to displace the low-density parts than the dense; there seem to be a number of surprises, plus some confirmations.
(1) Position of the L/H MLG with wing section: about 130m to the ENE, whereas nearly all other debris are between SW and west. If the attached wing included the L/H inner fuel tank, could the assembly have floated for a while, drifting and/or sailing away? In the case of the R/H MLG, the photo published by the BEA on 4th April (Phase 4) may indicate rupture of the inner fuel tank: possibly leading to its sinking sooner, if not immediately.
(2) The close proximity of FDR memory-module (and complete CVR unit) to the APU and THS screw-jack seems to reflect their high density, unlike the FDR chassis.
(3) The two items marked as engine fan-casings are not labelled with their engine numbers, and their positions are not easily explained. Looking at the position of the APU in relation to Engine#1, I'm wondering (like OleOle) if the aircraft heading and track might have been very roughly ESE. If the engines had not detached simultaneously, #1 might have dug-in first, while the #2 might have become detached while partly out of the water. The engines may have been at a high N1 at impact, and the fans have a lot of momentum. Could the fan have detached and flown forward, I wonder, taking its fan casing with it?
Turbine_D, would the fan casings have any tendency to float?
(4) Where is the THS? It doesn't look to be with the rear fuselage section in the WSW. The APU is mounted behind it, its screw-jack at its front, and the DFDR just in front of that.
(5) What does "double seat" mean: cabin-crew jump-seat, or pair of passenger seats?
(6) What are the other medium/large items to the WNW and WSW of the engines?
Last edited by Jetdriver; 14th May 2011 at 20:22.