[jebartle]

Probably a dumb question BUT why don't airlines spray foam that allows planes to float?....Needless to say I have NO knowledge of airplane construction. Is there anyone out there that might have the answer and will be kind to this silly question?

[kcrazorbackfan]

There is no silly question. Spray foam firms up to be pretty rigid. Although the amount of expansion is small, a jet will expand and contract during flight; I would think the rigidity of the foam would not allow for that. I don't work on planes, just have flown quite a few.

[Edjkoz]

The issue isn't about floating, it is about dropping around 40,000 feet and the hitting the water. There would be no way for the plane to stay intact.

[tcxr750]

If you recall, the plane that landed under ideal conditions in the Hudson river floated until everyone was rescued. A safe landing with heavy seas would have a different result regardless of flotation enhancements.

[DonH57]

I would think even though the foam is light a whole lot of it would be a lot more weight. I remember someone a long time ago wondering why they can't make the plane out of the same material they make the little black boxes as they call them even though they are bright orange.

[tcxr750]

I don't believe the Black Boxes are made of foam or encased in foam. Foam can be flammable. Any aerospace engineers wish to answer this question?

[villagetinker]

Recent information indicates the plane was at 35,000+ feet, and disappeared from radar 1 minute later. To cover that distance in that time, the plane was traveling at 300 mph or greater, and at that speed, hitting water is the same as hitting concrete.

For all involved, I hope they get to the bottom of this. I keep checking CNN of updates, but the analysis appears to be going slow.

[John_W]

In 1978 when I was working in Pensacola we had this National 727 land in Pensacola Bay. He was on approach and had his gear and flaps down and was at landing speed and at 520' at 5 miles out when he mistook a barge lights for a wet runway. There was heavy rain at the time and no ILS (Instrument Landing System) to runway 27 for his approach. The aircraft remained intact and everyone but 3 survived who had drown, the survivors were rescued by the barge. They actually floated the plane and took it away on a barge and sold it for $1 million to a refurbishing company. It was in the bay for about a month and was very visible when crossing the I-10 bridge. Needless to say, National was in a hurry to get it removed. National went out of business two years later in 1980.

[Buffalo Jim]

John , great post and photo . Thanks for sharing .