Originally Posted by
phylosocopter
My point was that a CFIT might be the result of a loss of situational awareness (for whatever reason) rather than criminal intent.
I also wonder if perhaps the initial descent might be because of a decompression event or other emergency (or the pilot believed there was one) and then somehow the leveling out from that manoeuver was botched. This scenario could fit both the flight profile and the "pilot inputs" info.
The actual cause of the accident will be discernable from the flight data recorder parameters of control column position and elevator and stabilizer position v aircraft flight path.
ICAO Annex 6 Part I, App 8 states the basic requirements for the FDR, it is mandatory to have had both the primary flight control surface and the primary flight control pilot inputs. Force inputs are not mandatory unless they are also displayed to the pilot in some form that they are not on the B737, however, the DFDAU may still be recording that data and providing it to the DFDR. (have looked at both outputs, with and without, and also separately recorded the forces by a tap from the databus for test purposes (429), which was not recorded by the DFDR (717), but was being measured). The integrity of the control run can be ascertained from the position data of the control input and the control position, and that will tell immediately whether the flight path was a deliberate action or not. If CAAC doesn't release the data, then it will be up to the next of kin to take action to subpoena the data. CAAC accident reports alone have questionable value beyond any data they provide; wasted lots of time with the lunacy that passes for analysis in their reports. Great food, good beer, accident reports not so much.