Apologies if this question has been posted already. Have read most but not all previous posts.
Assuming the "incapacitated crew, flying on AP at FL 2XX until fuel exhaustion" scenario, could some with technical knowledge on the T7 supply the details of how the scenario would unfold at the "...until fuel exhaustion" end?
1) Would both engines shut down at approximately the same time, i.e. do they have a common fuel source, or could one run, say 15 minutes longer?
2) At which point does the AP disconnect, immediately as the first engine shuts down or does it stay connected in some degraded mode?
3) What is the likely profile during descent? Nose-dive to (beyond?) VNE or are there any protections to prevent over-speed? Fly as close to VMD as possible? Follow-up: How much time would the crew have in oxygen-rich air, e.g. below FL100, to recover? I'm guessing not much.
4) Given the above scenario, is the high or low vertical speed impact the most probable outcome?
I would assume a high vertical speed impact on the last questions, which would translate to a small debris field, correct? That would make the search effort harder, especially over the ocean or un-populated high terrain.
Still hoping for a non-foul play reason for the missing plane...
PS. Many thanks to all that have contributed with technical and/or operational input to this thread!
As a GA pilot with basic ATPL knowledge, some posts give very good chances for self-education. Other...eh, less so.
