Reply #9: The Plane Exploded [View All]

There is an impact crater, and debris scattered over a wide area.

The "remains" of passengers were fragmentary - little bits and pieces of people, which were identified largely by DNA testing.

You seem to believe that the order of recovery of fragmentary remains has some relation to the order in which the relatives had memorial services.

In order to identify a sample, one has to have a reference sample of that person's DNA, or DNA of their relatives. The next of kin of the victims were asked to round up things like toothbrushes, razors, etc. of the deceased in order to provide reference DNA samples. The process of coordinating that effort and conducting the testing, has more of an influence on what gets identified when, than the order in which any samples are recovered from the site.

Then, when fragmentary remains and identifiable effects are returned to the next of kin, the timing of a memorial service or internment of really what amounts to a handful of bits and pieces, is entirely up to the family and whatever customs or arrangements the family desires to make.