Originally Posted by 212man
So setting -20 degrees would easily give you 7000 ft/min rod and easily achieved in 12 seconds.
But we're not talking about a chopper, we're talking about an in-trim (I assume) Boeing 777 that was probably around 10° nose-up. To have the nose go down to -20° in 12 seconds would indeed be "not that easy". It would have required some very positive action on somebody's/something's part.