
I've yet to watch the film, but I was thinking about the neutrino burst that happens at the beginning of the film, apparently resulting in the death of the captain.
Is it possible there's a piece of technology on the planet which can release this burst of intense energy? I was thinking the engineers or an automated system did just that to kill off the lifeforms infected with the goo when David attacks, which results in the ship crashing and the humanoids being incinerated. (They look incinerated in the photos)
David then sees the approaching Covenant X years later and activates the burst, which damages the covenant and kills the captain.

Good theory but |I believe the burst was from a nearby star and they would have pinpointed this from the planet.
I did find it strange though maybe something bigger at hand? Some alien race bigger than the engineers?

i have to wait until monday to see it due to commitments.
i have theorised what the neutrino might be since i saw the tracklisting last month. i have been told too that it relates to the captains death.
however your idea that david has something to do with it is something i pondered too.
i was thinking that when prometheus embarked 10 years prior, the covenant mission will of been in the final planning stages for weyland yutani and therefore david will of had knowledge of planned colony mission.
my thoughts were that he had sent the signal (now looks like shaw did) knowing that there is a weyland yutani vessel in space and their directive is to investigate any signals found and that a signal would get covenant to investigate.
whether he used this neutrino burst in his plan is possible.
i think davids plan was to send a signal and covenant would detour, he infects the ground crew, makes it onto the ship and has 2000 colonists ready for alien:awakening (wakes the colony) where he has all the test subjects he needs.
it is plausible that the burst too has potential to do something that leads to them to decide on landing.
Take This.... This is the blood of our lord

Yea I really don't know enough about science, but reading the good ol Wikipedia, they come from a variety of sources.
I wonder if the Engineers have a fail safe mechanism on their planets to eradicate any hostile organisms from a failed experiment.
Perhaps that gold thing on top of the temple, or maybe even that Dockonaught thing we see the juggernaut dock with (Was that seen in the film I wonder?)

I suspect it was just chance and playing on the whole Faith thing... everything happens for a reason/ everything is chaos