they would have had battery at minimum, so radio would still be working. I am surprised no mention has been made of any abnormal radio communications or anything at all coming from anyone in ATC.
The PPL pilot who witnessed the planes approach said it was banking heavily and not making a straight in approach. If I recall all of the approaches for these runways are typical straight line approaches from a FAF, that was definately not what he described seeing. Which says to me that there had to be some communication of some abnormality before that 400 ft high engine flameout.
One thing I have not heard any mention of is whether 27L was even an active landing runway at the time.
Stupider and stupider.
27L is almost always active, it only closes at night. This was day.
They were flying and dealing with a problem. Ever heard of aviate, navigate, communicate?
What a PPL saw is about as reliable as what a journalist saw.