From the pictures its too hard to tell if the gear collapsed, or simply sunk into the deeper snow.
With regards the 'airbrakes', as has been mentioned above they are simply 'Lift Spoilers', used on the ground only.
If the engines are shut down with the spoilers still extended, they remain in the deployed (up) position, but will gradually drop as the hydraulic pressure drops off. Nearly always asymmetric too. The emergency checklist calls for shutting the aircraft down in this condition.
The system is rough and ready, as mentioned there is a flight/taxi switch, we tell the aircraft what phase it is. In taxi mode, the spoilers remain locked down. In flight mode, two conditions have to be met for them to deploy; weight on wheels, with power lever angle below (a value, cant remember what it is... something like 35º). Seeing the spoilers pop up on line up is a functionality check. Likewise, as we set power we must see them retract or the take off is to be abandoned.
If you attempt to depart with the switch set to taxi, as soon as the power lever angle passes 65º the switch flicks by itself to 'flight'.
EDIT: Ooops... found picture 10 on one of those links, ok so the gear DID collapse. It has retracted more or less on it longitudinal axis, so less likely to be a result of the accident, more likely a cause IMHO
Last edited by Love_joy; 6th Mar 2011 at 11:40.