Thanks for this Smott999 - tail damage
Cannot remember ever seeing damage like this. Perhaps someone has an example.
More common to see a separated "complete tail-section", or separated "vertical tail plus rudder".
Pure speculation. To imagine getting something like this, using an aircraft model, you would grab the "front fuselage and wing" with your left hand and hold it tight. Then with the other hand grab the horizontal stabilizer and rotate it till "it" breaks off.
This would also give an idea about why, more forward, the top fuselage panel was torn from the stiffer lower section. The remaining top part then rotates with the heavy tail down and the panels flatten when hitting the water. The remaing top part has more 'lift' than the lower section. So could move further.
Wonder where that lower section is. The why and how of this scenario ... has to wait for far more data and photos.
As far as I know the span of the horizontal stabilizer is 12.45 m and the distance from the top of the fuselage to the top of the vertical tail is about 5.87 m. If someone wants to make a 'torsion' calculation.
Last edited by A0283; 10th Jan 2015 at 17:34.
Reason: Spit part cut to focus on QZ8501. Spott999 no suggestion intended :-)