Which description best characterizes the wreckage diagram for High Speed - High Angle incidents?

• A. Crater - classic "Smoking Hole" (Semi-circle, Deep, random parts within)
• B. Short, wide distribution
• C. Highly fragmented wreckage
• D. "GUITAR PICK" shape

Answer: (D)

In wreckage diagrams, the shape of the ground debris field reflects how the aircraft broke up and slid or skidded after impact, which in turn reveals the velocity and angle at impact. For a crash that involved very high speed combined with a high (steep) angle, the debris tends to form a long, narrow pattern that widens near the initial impact and tapers along the flight path—this is described as a guitar-pick shape. The dense cluster near where the aircraft first struck the ground represents the initial, high-energy impact, while debris continues forward along the direction of travel, creating a slender trail behind it. This distinct, elongated pattern helps investigators infer that the aircraft hit the ground at a high speed with a steep descent.

Other patterns don’t fit as well. A crater-like, smoking hole implies a single, concentrated ground penetration with a strong, localized impact point, which isn’t the typical debris field for a fast, steep-angled crash. A short, wide distribution would suggest less forward travel or different dispersion dynamics, not the long, narrow trace seen with high-speed, high-angle impacts. Highly fragmented wreckage describes the condition of the aircraft pieces, but it doesn’t define the ground debris layout the way the guitar-pick shape does.