From what has been reported, we can speculate that, as has happened in the past, an airplane landed long on a wet runway in bad weather and overran.
As has also happened in the past, this may have been the result of the crew simply pressing a bad approach rather than abandoning it. Assuming this is the case, which at this point is a pretty big assumption, we still do not know the circumstances leading to the decision.
What was their fuel state? Did they hold awaiting an improvement in the weather? Did, for some reason, their alternate become unusable and did they exhaust their alternate and reserve fuel awaiting a change at either the destination or the alternate?
What was the condition of the aircraft? Although we do not yet have any reports of an emergency being declared or of any technical issue, was something occurring on the airplane that necessitated continuation of a bad approach? Was there a fire? Was there an issue with the flight controls that rendered a possible overrun the better choice than ago around? What if the 200 goats they were carrying broke loose from their enclosure and were stampeding back and forth upsetting the CG?
Yes, there is plenty of room for discussion and speculation and yes, that is what these boards are for. But definitive statements of cause, especially ones that state "The crew messed up and this is what they should have done" while smoke is still rising from the wreckage are also fair game for discussion.
There are some on these boards whom I pray are never on my jury.
Last edited by BobnSpike; 3rd Jun 2012 at 12:57.