SWB - aha I see your objection. IF (I'm still not convinced but am not ruling it out) it hit/clipped the trees then whatever else occurred it is still CFIT. The sentence you quote above is my attempt to point out that it did not just hit the trees and then continue out of control to end up where it hit the dirt but must have climbed (this could have been in or out of control) after said theoretical tree contact, high enough to then come down vertically (or at least with large vertical component) in the field. I was simply trying to point out the distinction as most seem to be suggesting it hit the trees and continued in more or less the same trajectory until stopping where it is shown in the media images. I argue that the wreckage and positioning make this scenario impossible.
Originally Posted by
Pampera10
If the aircraft suffered an engine problem that forced it to loose altitude, but was still in IMC conditions (above cloud base) when it hit the terrain, would that still count as CFIT?
It might have been under control but had not cleared the cloud.
I would argue (and folks are welcome to disagree) that an aircraft 'forced' to lose height is no longer under control. Yes you could still have control of the flight axis but you do not have control of the engine and therefore the descent is not a controlled but a forced manoeuvre. I would call such an accident 'forced landing in IMC resulting in collision with unseen terrain'.