The rudder appears to have swung over to an angle of about 30 to 45° during the stern's descent, causing the section to follow a tight spiral to the bottom.[92] It probably struck rudder-first, burying most of the rudder in the mud up to a depth of 50 feet (15 m).[93] The decks pancaked on top of each other and the hull plating splayed out to the sides of the shattered section.[79] The pancaking is so severe that the combined height of the decks, which are piled up on top of the reciprocating engines, is now generally not more than about 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 m) high. No individual deck is more than about 1 foot (30 cm) high.[93]