As the National Transportation Safety Board begins its investigation into a Delta jetliner that slid off a runway while landing during a snowstorm at LaGuardia Airport, there is no shortage of questions to pursue:
How big a factor was the snow? Was the runway too slippery? Could it have been a mechanical problem? Did the pilot come in too fast?
Thursday's accident of Flight 1086 from Atlanta caused only minor injuries to six passengers, but it was a scary case of what could have been at an airport notorious for its relatively short runways and proximity to water. The plane packed with 130 people smashed through a perimeter fence and came to rest just feet from the icy waters of Flushing Bay.
The NTSB said in a news release Friday that it has downloaded information from the MD-88's flight data and voice recorders, and planned to begin interviewing the flight's crew Saturday.
Aviation safety experts interviewed by The Associated Press offered their take on the possible scenarios of what happened.
More details here.