JimEli,
I don't think Lemain is trying to contradict Newton. The falling craft has a certain energy, and the resulting damage depends on how that energy is shared between deforming the hull and deforming the roof.
If it had landed on a stack of mattresses it might have come out unscathed, as the energy would all have been dissipated in the bedding.
On the other hand, if it had impacted a roadway, for example, it might look a lot worse.
Last edited by Roseland; 18th Dec 2013 at 10:59.