gyptair 990, intact, went straight in 60 NM off Nantucket. Very little debris on the surface. Small oil sheen on the surface when the first Coast Guard ship arrived near the position where transponder contact was lost. Depth at the site was 250-270 feet.
According to google, due to weak currents and significant volcanic activity much of the area has muddy sediment on that forms a layer up to 40 meters deep on the sea floor in some places.
Apparently the water depth in Malacca straights rarely exceeds 30 meters.
At 500 mph a distance of 30 meters is travelled in less than 0.2 of a second so would an airframe be stopped by this depth of water or would it also impact the seabed?
We have seen "holes in the ground" the result of near vertical high speed impacts. Imagine the same hole in the ground but under 30 meters of water and subsequently enveloped by 20 meters of mud.
Below is the impact crater from Flight 93, a 757 -222. The Black box was found at 7 meters feet and they excavated to 14 meters to remove all debris. So if the black box was in the tail and the deepest any wreckage was found was 15 feet deeper, the aircraft was compacted and encased in just 15 ft depth of soil.
Whilst it seems far fetched, does the physics add up?… a similar, near vertical impact to Egypt 990, but into 20 meters of water, then transitioning into soft mud that envelopes the wreckage?
