Originally Posted by
wiedehopf
Please keep in mind that this is altitude plotted against time so you can't really tell the flight path from it.
If you believe the data the aircraft had a descent rate of 31000 ft per minute during the last recorded transmission.
That is around 300 knots vertical speed. Horizontal speed at that last data point is 360 knots.
That is a total speed of around 470 knots with the flight path angle being around 40 degrees downwards.
So this calculation is kind of gruesome but as the question came up i'll post it anyway.
Well, you can make a deduction of ROD from alt/time. Integrated with horiz speed gives TAS, and an angle of descent, as you have done.
Of course, it is possible that some errors are present and incorrect data is involved. Unhappily, I think that your calculation is credible.
Also, the data profile would tend to indicate a powered nose-over.
OAP