if the A320 had a decompression then the 'procedural thing' to do is descend to 10000' PDQ, squawk 7700 and tell ATC what is happening and what you need in terms of airspace - is that so?
but knowing these chaps knew they had Les Alpes in front of them surely they would/should have turned around to head back to safer altitudes and look at nearest diversion options ? - which were all more or less behind them
if you need to EMER descend from 38000' what is the RoD and time please you require to get to 10000' asap?
is it more or less than than the approx 3700-4000' pm @370kts this a/c took in about 8 mins to get to 7000'?
if you had a depressurisation, an engine failure, a cabin fire or
say a windscreen blown out (is that poss?) a high level birdstrike into the
windscreen (how likely could that be?) would you still stay on track and descend into the mountains?
but this a/c stayed on track more or less as flight planned and it descended below MSA sadly and fatally impacted into the mountain range not that far from the peak tops by the look of the pictures/wreckage
with no radio calls, no 7700, no turn back indicates the poor crew had something going on which was beyond them
I'm not a pilot but retired now after many years at LHR&LGW in Traffic and Ops with British Midland Airways (amongst others)
thanks