Lightning?
Okay, before you read any further: I'm not a pilot. Nor an air crash investigator. Nor is English my native tongue. And this is my first posting here. Feel free to skip.
After reading this forum for some time now (and learning a lot) and since whatever any of us offers as an explanation no one knows the true chain of events, I venture to vent mine. Pure speculation. I would like answers to my four questions though.
Some questions I would like to ask first:
a) What happens when two of three systems monitoring flight parameters break down simultaneously and in a similar manner? What would the flight computers decide? Would the one remaining system deemed defective?
b) How severe can a lightning discharge be? Could it damage (melt) parts?
c) Could severe movements of the plane cause the ISIS gyro to produce an error condition?
d) Could a lightning discharge through the plane cause confusion in the TCAS?
I realise that the ACARS messages are not necessarily in exact chronological order. But what about the following sequence. Only logical if the answers to these questions is YES.
1) Auto Pilot switches off because of severe turbulence conditions caused by the lightning storm. More turbulence causes ATHR to switch off as well. Since both are 0210 time stamped I find it hard to believe that the pilot switched ATHR off (unless the pilot switched both AP and ATHR off intentionally).
2) A huge horizontal lightning discharge enters pitot tube on one side of the plane and leaves the plane at the other side by the pitot tube on the other side. Both are fused (partly) closed. Is this possible? Lightning does like sharp points.
3) The pilot flying is startled so much by the lightning discharge that by reflex he puts his feet down stepping hard on one of the rudder pedals.
4) The lightning discharge's induced heat confuses the outside air temperature sensor.
What happens next?