3 ms·

Everyone is quick to assume an MCAS malfunction for the Ethiopian Air crash but eyewitnesses reported smoke and flames coming from the plane, which seems to ind

by sjburt 8y ago

Everyone is quick to assume an MCAS malfunction for the Ethiopian Air crash but eyewitnesses reported smoke and flames coming from the plane, which seems to indicate something else.

rootusrootus 8y ago
There are always witnesses to plane crashes who will tell you it was on fire, whether true or not. The safest assumption is that we have no idea what happened but we trust in the NTSB to be quick with their recommendations.
ceejayoz 8y ago
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268513973_Reliability_of_eyewitness_reports_to_a_major_aviation_accident https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268513973_Reliabili... > At an airshow in 1952, a supersonic fighter disintegrated in the air causing the death of both crew and 29 spectators (Staff, 1952). Over 100,000 people witnessed the accident. A public appeal was put out for witness accounts and photographs to help solve the mystery, resulting in several thousand letters being collected. Rivas and Bullen (2008) found “many of the accounts are touchingly detailed and well intentioned, but the whole of the vast mail was of little use” (p. 186). The vital clue that led to determination of probable cause was supplied by a cine film. The in-flight breakup happened in less than a second, and almost all the eyewitnesses, including experienced pilots, gave grossly inaccurate accounts when compared to the film record.
kakwa_ 8y ago
Not necessarily, IIRC, with a stalled airplane the engines can surge, which pretty much look like a plane on fire from the ground. I'm not 100% certain however, if someone can say if I'm wrong or not, he is welcome ^^.
glasslion 8y ago
I am a fan of the Mayday(Air Crash Investigation) tv series, you can always find eyewitnesses report smoke and fire in any air cash despite the real cause.

by sjburt 8y ago

Everyone is quick to assume an MCAS malfunction for the Ethiopian Air crash but eyewitnesses reported smoke and flames coming from the plane, which seems to indicate something else.

rootusrootus 8y ago

There are always witnesses to plane crashes who will tell you it was on fire, whether true or not. The safest assumption is that we have no idea what happened but we trust in the NTSB to be quick with their recommendations.

ceejayoz 8y ago

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268513973_Reliability_of_eyewitness_reports_to_a_major_aviation_accident https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268513973_Reliabili... > At an airshow in 1952, a supersonic fighter disintegrated in the air causing the death of both crew and 29 spectators (Staff, 1952). Over 100,000 people witnessed the accident. A public appeal was put out for witness accounts and photographs to help solve the mystery, resulting in several thousand letters being collected. Rivas and Bullen (2008) found “many of the accounts are touchingly detailed and well intentioned, but the whole of the vast mail was of little use” (p. 186). The vital clue that led to determination of probable cause was supplied by a cine film. The in-flight breakup happened in less than a second, and almost all the eyewitnesses, including experienced pilots, gave grossly inaccurate accounts when compared to the film record.

kakwa_ 8y ago

Not necessarily, IIRC, with a stalled airplane the engines can surge, which pretty much look like a plane on fire from the ground. I'm not 100% certain however, if someone can say if I'm wrong or not, he is welcome ^^.

glasslion 8y ago

I am a fan of the Mayday(Air Crash Investigation) tv series, you can always find eyewitnesses report smoke and fire in any air cash despite the real cause.