Reply #11: Given the situation, I have to go with the Flight Attendant story

[happyslug]

From the article
"Well, I got out of my jump seat and went back and looked out the porthole and saw water. And, wow, then I turned around to start guiding the people away, just then a passenger knocked me over and went and just wildly, I mean, she was just frantic and said, 'Open the door, open the door,' and she cracked the door. I had to take her and get her away, but she had put it up just enough that it broke the seal and that water came gushing in."

Notice she said she went to the door to guide the passengers to another exit, then a passenger pushed passed her and opened the door. I can see the other passenger seeing the Flight Attendant neat the door and assumed she opened it. Furthermore, I can see people NOW believing that is what happened and report it as such. People will see what they want to see, and most times that is a member of the crew opening a door NOT another passenger. The two women were probably close and the other passengers in a state of shock and moving forward. Then the passenger passed back and opened the door and people heard the water coming in and the Flight Attendant trying to close the door and assumed she opened it (and now believe they saw her open it). This is a problem with eye wittinesses, they often state NOT what they saw, but what they wanted to see, and that is what I think happened here. The flight attendant's story, given right after the crash, is to neat for her to make up that day unless it is how the Attendant saw it. I put more faith in the Flight Attendant simply because she was in the area and admit to directing people elsewhere, thus she appears to have retained her wits and was acting what she believe to be the best course of action.

As to the Captain, who will be the first to testify, I expect nothing, she was in the Cockpit to see what was happening at the rear of the plane. As to the second witness to be called passenger, Billy Campbell, we will hear a lot for he was in the last seat of the plane and thus in the best position to see anything. The article says "Passengers report" the flight attendant opened the door, but does NOT say what Passenger Billy Campbell reported he saw.