[SamAdams76]

20,000 feet is a long way to plunge. That’s four miles!

[PAR35]

Best to get to a breathable atmosphere while your passengers are all still alive. Sounds like the cabin crew wouldn’t have been of much help with the emergency masks.

[Da Coyote]

It was a controlled descent (albeit at a high rate for a civilian airliner) which was exactly the thing to do given the loss of pressurization.

If you want to see plunge, try an F-15, idle, speed brakes deployed, from 40K or so.

[EDINVA]

Apparently Ms. Askew thought the staff were to suspend their normal human instincts thinking they were facing death.

[pfflier]

It wasn't a "plunge" or "plummet" implying it was uncontrolled. It was a controlled descent by the aircrew because of cabin depressurization.

SOP is to get to 10K AGL ASAP because that is the threshold of breathable air in an unpressurized cabin.

[Kozak]

Those seats are gonna need a deep cleaning....

[Autonomous User]

“20,000 feet is a long way to plunge.”

Long enough for the Nasi goreng or Tempeh the passengers had for dinner to come up!

[zot]

20,000 feet is a long way to plunge. That’s four miles!

Lost cabin pressure at 32,000 feet. Dove to 10,000 feet were cabin pressure isn't needed.