11/12 Extra: Plane crashes in New York

[tw]

Originally posted by russotto
Apparently the pylons which hold the engines on have been problems in the past. Combine catastrophic engine failure (which is going to cause a lot of a torque!) with pylons that are perhaps already suffering metal fatigue, and you have an engine which comes off.

Those pylons, as designed even in the 707, are suppose to break free if engine vibration causes too much stress. If the right engine failed as claimed, then the engine vibration should have intentionally sheared the engine from wing without damage - as designed.

However in Chicago about two decades ago, the airline was using an unapproved method (using a fork lift) to reinstall engines. It is suspected to have cracked the pylon. On takeoff, the engine sheared off the wing. BUT someone failed in design. All three hydralic lines were routed in the same place, where the disengaging engine broke all three. The aircraft flipped over and crashed upon takeoff.

If the cause was engine failure, then the failure must have been horrific. Engine parts must have flown inside the plane to have been seen coming out the left side. Engine parts must have also chopped the tail off.

What could cause such failure? One possibility is that a mechanic left a tool in the engine induction during the 1 hour mechanical problem delay. Not likely. But then either is such engine failure.

BTW, the same engine also caused the failure of Flight 232 that landed in Sioux City without hydralics. Why? Again, someone designed all three hydralic lines together in the tail. The engine explosion took out all three hydralic systems.

In another failure, a B-1 bomber was taken out by a bird. The bird hit the fuselage where it also took out all hydralic lines. That is a $2(?)billion aircraft shot down by a bird.

How much problems are birds? A recent study determinesd that birds see and easily avoid oncoming aircraft. The problem is that some birds get the 'I'm too good to be hurt' attitude also displayed by humans. Research suggests that birds sometimes test their luck - try to get too close - and fail.