Originally Posted by DozyWannabe
I doff my cap to you for a thoughtful, well-reasoned and insightful post.
One thing I remember from the time was a BBC Horizon documentary that stated a significant number of that FO's colleagues on AA's A300 fleet had transferred to Boeing types because they believed whole-heartedly in the "weak tail" scenario. Such actions speak to camaraderie and loyalty and they are no doubt noble, even if the evidence points elsewhere.
But if we are to be rational about things then we must follow the evidence, even if we don't like where it may lead. Heaven knows I've been accused enough times of "defending" or "protecting" Airbus when sticking to the evidence is all I've been doing. At the end of the day, even with the speculation over why the FO may have handled the rudder the way he appeared to, there is no arguing with the fact that the vertical stab did not fail until the forces on it exceeded the load limit by a factor of 2.2 times, exceeding the Ultimate load reserve by a factor of 1.47 times.
You have, as I think I’ve said before (probably several times), both my respect and my admiration. So, thanks for your comments – and I look forward to reading what you have to say on almost anything, because I’ve long ago recognized that most of the participants here are really after the truth about whatever it is being discussed. It’s far easier to jump on the most popular bandwagon – and sometimes having done so … remain ignorant of the facts … or worse, maybe influence some reasonably inexperienced aviator out there who gloms onto something posted by a seasoned old fart and finds out that he or she has made a serious error in judgment. There is absolutely no reason to NOT learn the truth about anything discussed here – because the truth will not only set you free, it might also save your butt!!