Originally Posted by DozyWanabee
I think what confuses the issue slightly is that translation from the French tends to mix up whether the PNF in particular is referring to pitch angle or altitude (hence the translation into "go up" and "go down" can refer to either). That said, whenever any of the pilots refers to the altimeter specifically after the stall has developed, they consistently say "You're going down", or words to that effect.
I'm finding a difficulty to understand that sentence in French, not first about attitude/altitude (in French from professional pilots it is probably altitude , reference to attitude would mostly use the word "assiette"="pitch") but a greatest ambiguity - and I cannot imagine professional pilots using that expression - is one of the fact which lets me reject the CVR written in a fantasy language, I have NEVER seen by the worst french professional pilot :
In french, when you are saying "tu montes" it has two OPPOSITE meanings, 1. You are climbing ; 2. I'm requesting you to climb, unsaid you are descending. Idem with the expression "tu descends".
Edit add : Inflection of the voice should perhaps help to discriminate, but the BEA did not deliver the vocal tape, and the text is rewritten...