Originally Posted by
michaelbinary
You have no evidence to suggest it wasnt a mechanical issue at all. NONE, and there is no evidence yet to suggest it was either.
They were heading to the old airfield because it just happens to be under the left hand circuit required to line up with 21 of the new airport. (assuming a left hand circuit)
Thats why they were at 300-400 feet overhead the old runway starting to make a left turn to line up with 21. Trouble is they were only 1.5 - 2K from the 21 threshold so very close in, and trying to make a tight 90 degree turn at reasonably low speed and as we all saw it didnt end well.
Occams razor. It is possible there was some sort of mechanical anomaly, but it's not apparent in either of the videos and no sense of emergency on board.
The fact the wheels were down however, suggests they were planning to land. If the wheels were configured for a landing then it's likely the rest of the plane was too. If they were configured for a landing we have to ask ourselves where - the nearest airport is the old one and it seems they were lined up with it. If they thought they were landing at the new airport would they have the wheels down this early?
We also need to ask why they made such a sharp turn at a relatively slow speed. Again, it's possible it was a panic type reaction that led to this.