In the APP1 mode that they were in, when they were at 200' ASL on final approach and stable, pitch is maintaining altitude, and power is maintaining airspeed. Correct? So the autopilot was driving the pitch axis to maintain height, correct? What was driving the power, was this being controlled manually by the pilot, or automatically by the AFCS? If the power was being manipulated manually, and the speed got too slow, I assume at some point the AFCS will pitch up abruptly (when it gets on the back side of the power curve) trying to maintain the selected height? I'm not familiar with S92, but this behaviour has all the attributes of S76. A pitch mode being used to maintain height, but not enough power being applied to maintain speed after levelling off. Especially after a low power descent, levelling off, but not applying power. The airspeed will very slowly bleed off, which might not be noticed by the crew, until it gets to a point where AFCS commands abrupt pitch up, airspeed rapidly decreases, and then things are out of control.
Am I right in saying that the aircraft was out of control before it hit the rocks, because insufficient power was applied for the flight mode they were in? And if they didn't hit the rocks the result would have been the same? We demonstrate this in the simulator, once that rapid pitch up occurs, without immediate corrective action, the aircraft will just fall out of the sky and you need more than 200' to recover the situation. I've seen experienced crews make this mistake; it happens in 2 different manoeuvres. Single engine missed approach using vertical speed mode to climb, but not applying enough power, and low power descent using ALT PRE, capturing the new height but not applying power.
EDIT: OK, answers to these questions were covered in the report. Pitch is being used to control speed, power is being used to control altitude.
Last edited by gulliBell; 14th Apr 2017 at 06:03.