The National Transportation Safety Board today released their
fourth update on the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in
New York on 12 Nov 2001.

The aircraft's tail section has been subjected to a number of NDT
examinations at NASA's Langley Research Center.

The tests were carried out in order to establish if the tail section had
any pre-existing defects before the tragic crash.

Although some delamination has been found it is not yet clear if
these were already in existence or were produced by the impact.

NDT and other tests will continue for a number of months.

The Safety Board has not yet ruled out either mechancial malfunction
or structural defects as the cause of the accident.

Aircraft salvage yards around the world are being searched in an
attempt to find an intact A300-600 vertical stabilizer and rudder.

If found this hopefully undamaged section would be used as a
comparison with the damaged section as they examine the accident
airplane's composite materials and attachment points.

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