Originally Posted by CONF iture
True that speed was bizarrely not falling ... especially compared to Asseline who kept his sidestick in the same position for 3 more seconds ...
On the timescale of the chart on page 9 of BEA's 'Additif' (synchronized at the time the flight path passes through 100 ft RA ?), Bechet advanced the thrustlevers between 1 and 1.5 seconds earlier than Asseline.
"Falling airspeed" would be associated to rapid increase of alpha.
Actually, at nominally 1g, with IAS falling at 1.7 kt/second, AoA is increasing at 0.5 degrees/second.
Anything between 5 and 10ft is a lot of performance ... if it's all it takes to survive the bush ...
Knowing that Bechet started the procedure 10ft lower than Asseline did, it does suggest that it could have made all the difference.
The accident report puts the impact at about 5 seconds after the thrust levers were advanced. Bechet's radio altitude was 27 ft when he advanced the thrust levers, and 5 seconds later it was again 27 ft. Asseline's radio altitude was 32 ft when he advanced the thrust levers.