I find it impossible to believe that the amount of wake turbelence in this case, or any amount of pilot input (which some have blamed), could rip the vertical stabiliser off any kind of modern Airliner in even reasonably serviceable condition.......
About two years ago, ironically at NY JFK, a similar Aircraft while being towed out of one of the hangars, collided with the steel girders of the hangar. Before the Aircraft came to rest the steel girders had ripped almost 75% of the way through the vertical stabiliser from fore to aft, it did NOT however even then dislodge the fin.
Obviously the fin and mounts were subsequently changed by a team from Airbus, but I find it hard to believe that an Aircraft that can survive this, can lose a fin due to any amount of wake turbulence......
