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re: What would have actually killed the passengers on board AA5342?

Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:26 pm to
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
10026 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:26 pm to
quote:

unconscious


Nah, if they didn't die on initial contact, they were alive when they hit the water. Airliners being shot down at 35k feet and being depressurized immediately give them a chance to be knocked unconscious, but not at 400 feet. 6 or 7 seconds of total terror. And nobody fricking drowned being essentially dropped onto concrete from 400 feet.
Posted by 3D
NJ
Member since Sep 2013
1211 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:31 pm to
whoever didnt have a seatbelt on prob died on impact with the ceiling of the plane. but most prob died in their seats when their aorta detatched from their hearts before they hit the ground
Posted by StansberryRules
Member since Aug 2024
2731 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:33 pm to
I would say between the initial explosion and the impact on the river after the fall, that's gonna cover close to 100%.
Posted by triggeredmillennial
Member since Aug 2023
187 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:37 pm to
We should be able to hear the CVR soon. I imagine they were alive for the fall as the landing lights remained on until river impact (meaning leading edge of wings and forward was intact)

quote:

Can you imagine the pilots? You were right there. And then suddenly you feel and hear a crash and looking down at your death.
Posted by BuckeyeWarrior
Naples, FL
Member since Jan 2025
510 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

I would imagine most died from the impact…either with the helicopter or with the water. Certainly a 200 mph impact.


The G-force from slamming into a body of water at 200 mph would probably displace the heart from the arterial system. Your brain would go into immediate shock and shutdown. Think of it like shaking a can of soup really hard. The outside is fine, but all of the contents on the inside are displaced.
This post was edited on 2/1/25 at 1:44 pm
Posted by Lake08
Member since Jun 2023
1802 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:41 pm to
Zero died from drowning.
Posted by BuckeyeWarrior
Naples, FL
Member since Jan 2025
510 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:47 pm to
This shite was like something out of Final Destination. What a violent and brutal way to go
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
3458 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:54 pm to
Same. I pray they don’t don’t what even happened after the the initial jolt.
Posted by canyon
MM23
Member since Dec 2003
20490 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 1:56 pm to
4
3
2
1
5
IMO
Posted by mdomingue
Lafayette, LA
Member since Nov 2010
37836 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 2:00 pm to
quote:

They impacted the helicopter at ~160mph. I’d like to think they were all unconscious/deceased before they experienced anything else.



Very likely then they had a 400-foot plummet already going well over 100 MPH so I expect anyone who was simply unconscious was killed on impact if they were not killed by the explosion or fire. I would be at least moderately surprised if a single cause of death was drowning or hypothermia. Not impossible, I guess, but certainly unlikely.
Posted by MSUDawg98
Ravens Flock
Member since Jan 2018
11587 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 2:01 pm to
The thought of being alive after impact makes me wish for them that this wasn't science fiction.
Posted by jcaz
Laffy
Member since Aug 2014
17639 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 2:03 pm to
Blunt force injury. At a certain point, the human body just can’t survive.
And yeah I’d bet nobody died of drowning because the fall from 400 feet is unforgiving.
Posted by BuckeyeWarrior
Naples, FL
Member since Jan 2025
510 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 2:07 pm to
I’m curious as to what the autopsies will reveal. If they find water in the lungs of any of the passengers, that probably means that some of them survived the collision and the impact briefly before succumbing to BFT injuries.
Posted by SirWinston
PNW
Member since Jul 2014
95699 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 2:08 pm to
This post was edited on 2/1/25 at 2:12 pm
Posted by mdomingue
Lafayette, LA
Member since Nov 2010
37836 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 3:35 pm to
quote:

If they find water in the lungs of any of the passengers, that probably means that some of them survived the collision and the impact briefly


Yep. That is possible but I still think improbable. I also think it unlikely they would have survived long enough to be rescued in any case though there have been some amazing survival stories.
Posted by 0x15E
Outer Space
Member since Sep 2020
14375 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 7:33 pm to
quote:

This was a collision at almost 200 mph, and probably hitting the water at 100 mph, likely everyone was dead after they hit the water.


Consider that most were only wearing lap-belts and had seats less than two feet from their face.
Posted by The Boat
Member since Oct 2008
171659 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 7:41 pm to
A few survived the Lockerbie bombing all the way to the ground before succumbing soon after. I’m sure a few made it all the way through impact but in a weakened and almost unconscious state drowned when they were unable to move.
This post was edited on 2/1/25 at 7:46 pm
Posted by L1C4
The Ville
Member since Aug 2017
15407 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 7:48 pm to
Not something I really want to know. RIP to all the lost souls.
Posted by BHM
Member since Jun 2012
3578 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 8:09 pm to
quote:

Hopefully they were all immediately knocked unconscious



Let's just go with that and call it a night.
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
102493 posts
Posted on 2/1/25 at 8:28 pm to
Seeing the videos of the fuselage spinning into the river.. I bet some of them survived the impact (wasn't a concrete wall) and died from drowning, but they most likely were not conscious at the time.
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