Originally Posted by wes_wall
I doubt very little controlled gliding was done during the descent. Rather I suspect that immediately following the onset of their upset, the airplane was quick to begin a loss of altitude, with a corresponding increase in vertical speed as forward ground speed declined. The apparent fact that flight attendant stations (seats) were not occupied (on impact) and the lack of any kind of cabin preparedness gives credibility to the quickness of events and the violence of the upset.
Sure. But the real question is
when did this final upset (causing the final crash, possibly stalled) occured?
At 02.15, 02.16, 02.17? Nobody knows actually.
Just before 02.15, at least one engine was obviously still running (certainly both) as ACARS were still transmitted...
Now, at impact time, this aircraft seems to be controlable in the case she was still powered. Was she?
How could we know for sure that she impacted at this exact time if she was not powered anymore?
I'm just pointing that this airframe is able of gliding unpowered but will need some altitude to do so, as well as being able to build up some speed to restart its engines.
When short of both, she certainly will go down.