PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - TU154 out of Sochi is missing.
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Old 8th Jan 2017, 18:38
  #328 (permalink)  
Chronus
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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The photo of what appears to be a section of the port wing shows a fairly uniform separation of its bottom midsection together with all its leading edge slats. I understand fuel tanks are carried in the wings. Assuming this to be the case, I would suggest that the damage exhibited is resultant from a fuel tank separation and ejection from the wing taking with it all the leading edge high lift structures. Such scenario would involve high speed and large deceleration forces. The outward bending of outer wing skin panels are possibly caused by hydrodynamic forces entering the wing box following the ejection of the fuel tank. All suggesting a fairly laterally level trajectory high speed collision with the surface of the water.
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