That is why I have been trying to determine what the lower end speed when it made contact with the water was (or might have been.)
With a plane empty of fuel we are told by 777 pilots that the stall speed would be 100-105 (IAS I assume.) Factor in a 20 knot headwind, that brings the speed on contact to 80-85.
Skully hit the Hudson at 137 and the plane stayed mostly intact.
Now factor in that MH370 may have been under control and with two functioning engines. Vectoring the thrust 45 degrees downward is certainly possible in a terminal touchdown. The power on stall speed must be at least 20 knots below power off stall speed.
I think that airframe engineer was figuring something closer to 200 knots at touchdown.
That airframe may be intact on the bottom, with little or no debris release. It is not at all unlikely that this is the case IMO.
Last edited by Propduffer; 25th Apr 2014 at 07:11.
Reason: or might have been