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Schoolyard Barometer

  If I lift or tilt one sealed end of a pipe or water hose that is full of water, while the other end is submerged in a pan of water (to prevent air from entering the pipe), the weight of the water in the pipe will cause a negative pressure at about 23' elevation, analogous to the pressure difference between the air inside a high-flying aircraft and the outside air (with some adjustment,, depending on my altitude, and on the fact that an airplane interior pressure is not set at sea-level -- 14.7 psi). Yes, your analogy is physically accurate. When you lift a sealed, water-filled pipe while keeping the open end submerged, the weight of the water pulling downward creates a partial vacuum (negative gauge pressure) at the top of the pipe. This is exactly how a water barometer works. The physics behind your scenario breaks down into a few key points: The 23-Foot Pressure Drop At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch). A column of water exerts a pressure o...
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Pure speculation at this point

  If the detailed records never existed re what G-forces were applied (from which can be inferred loading on the horizontal stabilizer), then maybe only interviews of people who flew in the plane in years past could reveal whether it was subjected to abuse. (I happened to see a scene in a new TV show, 'Cupertino', where a character was showing off how his plane could be used as an amusement ride... He would sit on a slippery pad, in the aisle, at takeoff and landing, to slide down the length of the aisle. I suppose the writers did not make that up entirely, but based it on stories they had heard.) You are absolutely right about the value of human testimony in these scenarios. When technical data logs are lacking or incomplete, eyewitness and passenger interviews become a crucial pillar of an NTSB investigation. [ 1 ] Investigators frequently interview former corporate passengers, flight attendants, and past crew members to build a profile of an aircraft's operational histo...
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