OVERTALK I am not disagreeing with anything you are saying. I assume all the “flat-plate”, zipping, and other processes you refer to went on, and that we do see ablated materials ahead of and behind the left wing.
To summarize, there seem to be 3 possible areas of INITIAL damage:
(1) Under the wing, studied by Boeing and concluded to be tolerable.
(2) Leading edge, now under study by the CAIB.
(3) Wing cuff almost as far forward as the cockpit.
I am just suggesting that there is a hint of evidence for (3).
But I don't see any evidence as to whether (2)
preceded (3), or the other way around.
But I do suggest that (3) could have initiated (2), but that (2) was unlikely to have initiated (3).
Cheers,
