Originally Posted by
DaveReidUK
The first negative g excursion was around 17 seconds before impact.
If I'd been a believer, I think I'd have started looking for my rosary at that point.
It lasted for 5 seconds at ~-.4G and then returned to 1G before the final tip-over. Compare to the flight recently that shoved people hard enough into the overhead bins many popped open. Surprised? I'm sure, but unless that same surprise is action for millions of dollars in individual damages for clear air turbulence, it's not something that will be significant compared to thousands of prior turbulence events.
Compensation for emotional suffering by the families? Absolutely. Compensation for loss of companionship, loss of income? Without doubt.
But telling people their loved ones died in agony is cruel and untrue.
Were I in a similar situation I would likely just be saying "Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, ..." all the way to the ground. Not panic - disappointment that I would not be going where I bought the ticket to go to. Having once narrowly avoided being decapitated in a traffic accident, I don't recall any more than some surprise at the sudden appearance of an obstacle at face height that, at the last second, swerved out of the way and was replaced by grass and several fence posts.