Posted by Roy Mengot on November 05, 2000 at 12:31:54:
In Reply to: Re: Different point in time posted by Mark Draper on November 02, 2000 at 09:35:34:
: I meant after the the stern left the surface, how did it land on the seabed? Also during the 2 1/2 mile fall to its resting spot, 2000ft. from the bow.
From patterns of debris on the decks and mud explusions around the ship, it's clear it hit nearly flat. It's maybe a hundred yards from the center of the boiler field, indicating it fell almost strait down. It's only 2% off perfectly straight down. The distance between the sections is due to the action of the bow diving and stalling. It picked up a little forward momentum each time it tipped downward. 2000 feet is still only 16% off a vertical fall after 12,400 feet.