Question: Would a high rate of descent make sense if the Cptn put the A320 in a steep dive from considerable height -- NOT with any bad intentions, but in a desperate effort to recover from a stall?
Perhaps powered, or initially unpowered but restarting engine(s) along the way?
Earlier in this thread, NigelOnDraft said (in reference to AF 447)
[D]o you really think that crew would have correctly recovered from this stall?
The Nose Down attitude to recover (30+nd?) would have been horrendous, and I am not sure I could have been convinced to push that hard for that long (and I'm a current aerobatic pilot, ex-mil fast jet, RAF ex-QFI etc.).
Flight 8501's Cptn reportedly flew fighters in the military. Like some other pilots, after AF 447 he also may have thought about how he would respond if ever in a high altitude stall.
If the odds were high the plane would crash if nothing were done, would a steep dive be a reasonable response - trading altitude for speed and hoping to regain control before reaching the deck? It certainly would void the warranty, and might push some control surfaces past their limits - but would there be a better alternative once in the proverbial soup?
If I'm all wet, just say so. (And yes, my question presumes recovery from an actual stall, which has been suggested by some but thus far remains speculative. I also refrain from using technical terms such as "fully developed stall" or "deep stall", recognizing the limits of my knowledge and not desiring to make a complete fool of myself.)