Lonewolf 50:
noting the comparatively stable vertical speed (in terms of error band) that you point to, is it your idea that something new happened (maybe something broke) in the last half of a minute? When I look at the match up of the reported radio conversation between the aircraft and ATC as they were arranging their return, the impression I was left with was that the aircraft was more or less controllable, and then all of a sudden it wasn't.
That is precisely what I've been getting at - not least of all because of the last minuet huge increase in fuel flow.
My comment earlier about a standard reaction to stabilizer runaway, intentionally disregarded the different symptoms the pilots would have been subjected to on the MAX. I'm trying to get into the pilot's minds and the comment was based on up to date training having been denied them and their mindset locked to an age-old operating procedure. Surely, even then, they would have gone for the cut-out switches, and if they did not, it was because something entirely different was
also confusing the issue. By that I mean in addition to the five-second delays etc.
Indeed. Just imagine not knowing.
How does an intermittent and unadvertised control input, of complex algorithmic intensity, every 5 seconds, provide that?