BBC scenario, recovery from FL350, terminal conditions
Doesn't it seem unlikely that any major control surface failed during a possible overspeed given the conditions of impact ("en ligne de vol", no roll, no yaw, no sideslip, slight nose up) described in the BEA reports ?
If we assume a high altitude upset (which I do), we have to explain why the recovery from cruise altitude has not been possible... and despite this, why the A/C impacted the surface with a terminal velocity mostly vertical (contradictory with a recovery about to be successfull), but not as high as in previous cases of high dive from cruise altitude. Doesn't the possibility raised by the BBC documentary (overcorrection in the recovery at low altitude, possible in the absence of alpha prot and low speed stability => secondary stall at low altitude) have the potential to explain both of these aspects ?
Jeff