Eternal NYC writes:
All this talk about possible jackscrew failures, RPB blowouts, etc are really missing the point here.
You realize that world intelligence services are admitting they are now getting evidence that this was a bomb?
You realize that's why all these airlines are not allowing luggage in the hold?
You realize that ISIS claimed responsibility for this immediately after it happened, from a wing that has not released any false information in the past?
So you think we are wasting time here, and we should jump to "obvious" conclusions?
Do you remember how "obvious" it was for TWA800 that it was hit by rocket?
Instead it was much less exciting explosion in empty fuel tank.
Here we enjoy putting together a puzzle from scarce facts. The last piece in the puzzle would be event that caused catastrophe. Not the first.
We try to understand how known facts can be put together without contradictions, eliminating theories how and when things happened.
So far we know:
Initial event severed cables to FDR and probably to CVR.
However ADS-B remained functional for about 26 seconds after flight became unstable. Initial event might have happened much before flight became unstable. (toddler position) There was a lot of yawing and unstable descent, after flight became unstable. Loss of tail fin? Horizontal speed was quickly lost at the end of these 26 seconds. During that time plane travelled about 5km. There was a headwind about 27m/s.
There was a fire inside that scorched rear fuselage seats and occupants according to autopsies.
It could be, that initial event happened before flight became unstable. toddler location hints that it happened some 1 minute 30 seconds before flight became unstable. But we have little facts. We need to know when exactly FDR stopped and put that time on known flight path. We need to know what parts were found around toddler.