henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (09/16/84)
The notion that there may have been survivors of KAL 007 is interesting, but there are a couple of technical quibbles with your arguments... > ..................................... If the plane did explode of a > fuel explosion below 5000 ft., there would be bodies and debris to > such an extent that a large oil spill would pale in comparison. Much of the debris would sink at once. Not sure about the bodies. Folks make a big deal out of how there was very little found after disaster X, notably in connection with the "Bermuda Triangle" mythos, but the usual answer as to why there was so little debris is, "it sank". I am not necessarily disagreeing with your contention that there was too little debris for an airborne explosion, just pointing out that the issue isn't as clear-cut as it looks. > ...but how can you lose a 747? ... Same way you can lose a nuclear submarine, or an H-bomb. Searching large areas of ocean bottom isn't easy. Again, your suggestions are still interesting, but the evidence isn't conclusive. > A 747, in 1 piece would float for some time... The idea that an intact plane will float for lengthy periods is popular mythology, as is the notion that a ditching at sea is a fairly gentle process. The answer to both is "not necessarily", particularly with a damaged aircraft. The existence of bodies apparently blown out of the aircraft by depressurization strongly suggests that the pressure hull had at least one large hole in it. Even intact aircraft often sink very quickly after a ditching; the "Nova" program on the Bermuda Triangle a few years ago had a spectacular film clip illustrating this. > If it broke up, smaller pieces would have a better chance of floating... Only the ones with a useful amount of buoyancy, which is rare in aircraft fittings, cargo, and baggage. Seat cushions, for example, are buoyant but are normally firmly attached to rather heavy frames. > Plus, all the floatable devices that would NOT sink... Only if they'd been inflated. My impression is that passengers are normally told *not* to inflate lifejackets etc. while still inside the plane, because it makes getting out of a small escape hatch harder. If the plane sank almost instantly, practically all of the floatation devices would be uninflated, besides being trapped inside the plane. In short, while I find your scenario plausible, the evidence does not seem conclusive to me. A rough ditching followed by immediate sinking of the damaged 747 would account for things fairly well. The inability to find the 747 on the bottom is inconclusive unless advanced sensors like high-resolution sonar were used to sweep the whole area, and I've never seen mention of this being done. [Such sensors are not standard equipment for anything but specialized military vessels.] -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry