Damage to the
vertical stabilizer and rudder was consistent with loading to the left (when looking forward).
The HF-2 antenna on the starboard side separated at the
vertical stabilizer, then departed from the empennage and wrapped around the horizontal stabilizer.
Initial investigation showed a distinct line from the damaged area and the surface directly aft of the area in question, suggesting that a leading-edge tip cap had blown off the
vertical stabilizer.
Vertical stabilizers and rudders are rarely stalled even during abnormal flight.
This stand is huge and was designed to allow access to any part of the C-40's fuselage and
vertical stabilizer that tower 41 feet 2 inches above the ground.
The inspection revealed signs that internal layers of the carbon-reinforced composite fin, or
vertical stabilizer, had begun to separate from each other at one of six points where the component connects to the tail section of the fuselage.
The final pass was to be conducted inverted, and the airplane would cut the ribbon with its
vertical stabilizer.
The pilot told Scott that the upper 2/3 of the
vertical stabilizer and rudder were missing and that it required full left aileron to maintain control.
The investigators are continuing work on the aircraft's
vertical stabilizer and rudder and have removed small samples from the stabilizer in preparation for destructive testing next week.
Conventional singles actually are a bit sensitive to power settings when flown slowly; air blown by the propeller past both the horizontal and the
vertical stabilizer side can vary their angle of attack, and thus their effectiveness.
I cautiously flew behind and then to the other side of my wingman to get a better look and relay what I could see of his damaged
vertical stabilizer.
United Airlines claims to have discovered evidence of a flaw in the
vertical stabilizer on one of its Airbus A320 aircraft.
