AF 447 Search to resume (part2)

[slats11]

There is life (macroscopic and microscopic) at the ocean depths, which has adapted for the low temperature and high pressure environment. The metabolic rate of these life forms is very low however, and hence the energy requirements are also low. The only source of energy down there (barring vents) is food that has drifted down from higher up in the ocean.

So bodies will decompose over time. There were no bodies seen at the sites of the Titanic or Bismark. This decomposition will just longer than normal. Just as food will eventually spoil despite refrigeration.

The "braced position" stuff is a bit of a stretch. The aircraft still had some forward velocity. 50-60 knots may be "low forward velocity" in aviation terms, but is like hitting a tree at 100 kph driving a car. You will be flung forward in your seat, and without seat belts you will likely be ejected through the windscreen.

If the leaked reports are accurate, then there appear to be three groups of bodies:
1. Those recovered from the ocean surface - likely no seat belt in use and didn't sink as inherently sufficiently buoyant
2. Those lying loose among the debris - likely no seat belt and sank independently of the aircraft as less buoyant (or no seat belt, but did not drift free of the cabin until they had sunk to a depth from which "resurfacing" was not possible).
3. Those still secured in a seat.

If there are free bodies lying around however, it would seem a little odd to first recover those still in a seat (unless they wanted that part of the wreckage for whatever reason). If your objective was to recover bodies per se, then all other things being equal you would probably retrieve those lying free first. So this particular piece of information may not be accurate.

Regardless, the fact that some bodies are still secured in their seat suggests that things happened quickly - also supported by no communication, no life jackets, cabin crew positions vacant. Yes there are very good reasons for each of these factors individually. Collectively however, the evidence is fairly compelling. Plus of course we now know that the aircraft is close to LKP.

It also suggests that the limited autopsy information is skewed towards unrestrained passengers. This means there are more variables involved regarding the origin of these injuries, and therefore any conclusions about the likely forces involved etc are less certain.