Forgive my first post confusion, but why isn't there any real speculation here about the fact this was caused by a potentially improperly repaired tail strike?
I can't find any professional documents, relating to that repair, nor is there any clear suggestion as to whether a doubler was used, or whether it was taken back to skeleton.
Given the absence of this, surely, this has to be a major key to concluding this case? I highly believe that an improper repair / continued maintenance missed the beginning of metal fatigue, thus resulting in it's mid-air break up some 14 years later.
I can't see it being a bomb/device/etc - why would you detonate it over the Sinai desert? Surely if you wanted to send a real message, you would wait until it was on approach to St Petersburg? Even if this imaginary device wasn't on a timer, you would have to expect more shrapnel/scorch damage than what we have already seen in the photo's - surely?!
Is there any clear pictures of this plane that show the repaired tail strike, prior to it's demise on Saturday??? Can't we study those? Also, can't seem to find the repaired area on any of the crash photo's either... Is there something wrong with my eyes??
