pattern_is_full said:
2. The cabin altitude warning seems equivocal. Plane decompresses - or - plane rises 2,000 ft. in 20 secs. in a convective updraft - or - plane drops 2,000 ft. in 10 secs. in a convective downdraft - or - plane ascends/descends rapidly for some other reason. Would not any rapid altitude change in either direction that exceeded the pressurization/venting system's ability to keep up lead to this warning?
That would NOT be the case if the warning message indicates that plane altitude is in danger of overtaking cabin altitude, as was stated early in the thread. *IF* that is the true meaning of the warning message, then at 0214z the plane had just started a rapid descent, with an intact cabin, at an angle that still permitted the sending of the ACARS message.