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Old 11th Mar 2013, 21:51
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Turbine D
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
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Lyman,
At 02:12:44 the pitch is about level, the V/S is 15000 fpm, the stall warning is operating, and the captain says "(!) it's impossible".
As HazelNuts39 has pointed out the time listed above, the altitude was 20,028 ft. At 02:13:32, less than one minute later, the altitude was 10,092 ft.

It would seem to me that had the Captain recognized the situation at 02:12:44, that indeed they were fully stalled and falling fast, it was marginal the airplane could be saved applying significant nose down and holding it for a significant period of time. Less than a minute later, it became impossible. Debating the THS position, the elevator position, nose up, nose down, Side-stick visible, side-stick not visible, side-stick forward, side-stick back, it was too late. The Captain's words "it's impossible" prophetically applied to a possible recovery although I don't think that was what he was referring to at the time.
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