Originally Posted by eugenefraxby
@takata - You're clearly right that if the aircraft can maintain wings level at a suitable attitude, it can glide for a long time from FL350.
What if the aircraft entered a storm cell? The huge updraft/downdraft velocities inside the storm system could make the level aircraft lose altitude very rapidly?
I only fly gliders, not large aircraft, but I've flown in pretty rough conditions where we were wings level at normal attitude experiencing 10kt downdrafts (which is a very big downdraft for a glider at little more than 1000ft!). Under those conditions you can lose altitude very rapidly even if the aircraft is in a normal, non-upset condition.
Right, but we still don't know yet what were precisely the real weather conditions during this flight. As I said above, something still unknow happened between FL350 and the aircraft final attitude before impact at sea level. All we know for sure is that it took
at least 5 minutes (maybe more) to go down and that the weather (ice, rain, storm) was certainly the primary factor above anything else.
All those pitot tubes don't freeze in normal/severe weather conditions, neither a dual engine flameout would be caused, neither such an aircraft would be lost with all hands from its cruise level.
This is why we should learn much more from the recorders (if they are found) and the wreckage analysis (including those engines remants).