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In particular, no e'cridence of electrical discharges was found in the interior of tanks Nos. 7 and 6 (see per. 11.2.3.1).

As to the upper plate of cap P.N. 750538-13 (see par. 11.1, point l), found at the beginning of the path of fall of the wreckage, in View of the tests made in the U.S.A. (mentioned in pars. 11.113 and 11.LL.B) the follomng hypotheses may be considered:

(a)

(b)

The cap, to which said plate belonged, was removed, at the crash Site, from the wing panel to which it was attached (see par. 111.0) by some unauthorized person who, after haying disassembled the cap into its component parts, kept one or more of them and threw away the others, including the plate.

This hypotheSis, although wholly plausible, is subject to doubt in View of the following considerations:

[1] The plate was found at a distance from the wing panel in the middle of a field about 100 meters away from the nearest road;

[2] In spite of diligent searching, not one of the remaining parts of the cap was found in said field and immediate Vicinity;

[3] The place where the plate was found is exactly at the

beginning of the path of fall of the wreckage, where

it probably would have fallen if, for any reason whatever, it had become detached from its cap and from the mug as a consaquence of the exploSion, or Just

before): it (see hypotheses on the follomng points b

and c.

The cap became detached from the Wing and then broke up into its component parts a a consequence of the explosion.

Considering the results of the tests mentioned in pars. 11.li.3 and 11.11.53, this might be explained, for instance, as the result of some hidden fault in the thread of the central stem onto which the check nut is screwed.

In fact, if the central stem should break off in that area, the cap would automatically separate into its component parts. In as much as the link chain of the cap was not found in its place on the Wing panel, it must either have become detached as a consequence of the explosmn or it was rem0ved by unauthorized persons who detached ‘it from the panel.

Against this hypothesis is the fact that the P.N. 750h38_13 caps are subject to periodical inspection and tests.