Lost in Saigon:
You would have "caught the cabin" in descent resulting in a very high descent rate for the cabin.
I admit I did not check the maximum cabin pressure descent rate compared to emergency descent. So - right.
torquebox:
Radomes seem to cop a lot which is why they have such massive lightning diverter strips.
Sorry, I had to be more precise: For sure the radome is subject to lightning (didn't want to say that), but I never came across evidence that this part is more prone than others. The reinforcements of conductors present in the radome is because it is made of glass fibre, which is an insulator. (Would it be conducting, the radar beam would be immediately reflected by the radome.) Similarly the vertical tail leading edge is partly glass fibre, because of the antennas behind.
Phalanger:
It's interesting that spoilers are reported as failing in the last set of messages.
This must be overinterpretation by media with a sound half knowledge. The cited ACARS did report SEC1 to be failed, which controls the spoilers.
But: SEC2 is just as cabaple and not reported to have quit. Similarly, I read that the plane would have run by "alternate power" - which they simply mixed up with "alternate law".
blueloo:
Absolutely - but I would tell Air Traffic Control this. Not operations/my company.
If you get through, that is. We only know that there was no chatter recieved. At least
I don't know whether they attempted and weren't heard. Perhaps the message - if true - was typed by the third pilot just when they changed shifts?