Originally Posted by
Mach Two
There has been some very interesting speculation in the last page or so here, but I doubt most of you have much concept of how small the influence of the weather phenomena you're discussing is on a fast jet. I'm sorry to say that your lack of understanding has taken you up a blind alley. Sea breezes, down draughts and inversions can pretty safely be discounted as serious threats to fast jet aeros.
Excellent point, but the aircraft is reported in the AAIB interim report as flying at around 100 knots inverted at the top of the manouevre. In such a fast jet, is that really flying? If he had had another 30 feet to play with, he might just have made it. In such a marginal condition, flying so near the point of stalling/mushing, small and apparently insignificant factors must play a larger role.