Originally Posted by
Lightning6
CC...Lowering of flaps and gear might have made a difference, presuming they were in a stall, but, given the time from altitude to surface, would that be your first decision? There was a hell of a lot going on up there, and apparently little time to make any logical decision. Don't get me wrong, your logic is good, but can you imagine the dramatic situation they were in?
Sorry, I have to disagree ...
If the main plane was still flying, flaps move the center of pressure forward, causing a pitch up; they
permit a nose down attitude at low speeds for this reason.
And, yes, at FL350 the last thing I would think of is gear/flaps.