Questions About The Landing
I assume these issues have been discussed before, but I have not found answers in my (admittedly incomplete) look through the archives. If answers exist, would someone please point me to them? Sincere thanks!
Jon Romig, first post
1. We have visual evidence that at some point the landing gear may have gotten caught in a fissure in the reef. I understand that the reef would have been covered by +/- 6" of water at the time of landing, which could have concealed a fissure or fissures. Is it reasonable, given a controlled landing, to think that the landing gear could have gotten caught during the rollout, "by accident" so to speak? Or are the fissures located (at least since 1990) so as to require a poor landing in the wrong place on the reef (due to fatigue, unplanned approach, reef slipperiness, hydroplaning, ground loop, etc.) to hit one?
2. Does the surf normally go all the way up the reef at high tide, and under normal conditions would it have been sufficient to shift the Electra at high tide on the fourth or fifth day? The tide heights that I have seen (associated with the radio schedule) do not seem all that high for a plane as large as the Electra, but surf could add many feet I assume.
3. Would it have been possible to maneuver the Electra up onto the beach, or is there a lagoon between the reef and the beach? If AE would not have been able to drive the Electra to a high spot near/on the beach, that would explain much, without requiring a stuck landing gear.
4. Do we have the tide tables for the days in question?
5. Do we have film of someone walking the length of the most likely landing path? I know that it would help my understanding a lot to see that. Maybe Discovery could do it for me? ;-)
6. Did the Electra have wheel brakes or did it depend solely on flaps, propeller pitch, etc. to slow down?
7. Assuming that the Electra was still usable after July 2, and that AE and FN were fit enough to scout around, is there anywhere else on the island that AE could have flown to that would be more protected from surf and tide than the reef? Even a controlled ditch in the lagoon might have been preferable, in retrospect.