Gentlemen,
Avherald has some news...
On Dec 12th 2013 reader Simon, meteorologist at a highly reputed university in the USA, submitted true colour satellite images (see below), that were taken by Eumetsat on the day of the crash at 11:15Z and 11:30Z. Reader Simon reported that he had never seen such a rapidly developing thunderstorm cell before. At 11:15Z that cell was located about 15nm to the right of the airway at position S19.398 E23.369 about 111nm from the crash site, most likely created updrafts in excess of 60 meters/second (117+ knots vertical), provided ice crystal icing conditions and grew its tops rapidly from about FL260 to FL420 within 30 minutes and falling back to FL300 again in another 30 minutes (at 12:00Z). A smaller cell was almost over the airway at position S19.493 E23.017 about 101nm from the crash site also creating ice crystal icing conditions and probably producing updrafts around 55 meters/second (107 knots vertical speed).
On Dec 14th 2013 Mozambique's Civil Aviation Authority reported in a press conference, that the investigation is well underway, cockpit voice and flight data recorder have been successfully read out and have been analysed, a preliminary report is nearly finished. Results of the investigation so far rule out any mechanical problem or problem with the airworthiness of the aircraft as cause of the major accident.