misd-agin:
Who thinks slowing by from 118 kts Flaps 25 that they're INCREASING their gliding distance by slowing to 108 kts Flaps 25???
You're going from (approx.) Vref -20 to Vref -30. That's going to INCREASE your performance???
So, if you're on the back side of the power curve(lift curve/drag curve, whatever you want to call it in pilot terms) and slowing an additional 10 kts will INCREASE your gliding performance?
you mean from 118kts F30 down to 108kts F25 - do you happen to know what would be the speed if they would have stayed with F30? Suppose they would have stayed with AP on : would the speed be higher? Or maybe even lower as the control surfaces would have to be trimmed more to maintain the AoA the AP was trying to keep?
Another issue is that by slowing to AOA limits there is no excess energy(ie airspeed) to try and flare. That woud allow for a slightly decreased sink rate at impact.
but there was a perfect flare! Actually it was LANDING rather then CRASH. Passengers have described it as 'rough' but still landing. See the experience of the reporters who were looking for sensational passengers crash stories - and failed
