[radec]

The video I saw this morning on CNN would have had the aircraft way above the treeline and on a downward trajectory. It actually looked like a meteorite heading to earth. The vertical speed component from flightaware matches the video as well. I’m not sure what caused the aircraft to catch fire at that altitude.

[Yosemitest]

I'm not buying the missile theory, and I haven't seen any video to support that.
Can you provide a link?

[Yosemitest]

If you go back to comment #111, under RUNWAY 36 Obstructions: you'll read

" 76 ft. trees, 1736 ft. from runway, 392 ft. left of centerline, 20:1 slope to clear "

Those trees 76 foot above the end of the runway would be 1,736 feet short of the landing threshold of Runway 18, at 392 feet right of centerline, and it takes a 20 to 1 slope to clear them (be 500 foot above them).
Those are probably the trees United Parcel Service Flight 1354 clipped during his approach to Runway 18.

[Yosemitest]

Also on comment #111 RUNWAY 18 Obstructions: you'll read

"16 ft. gnd, 615 ft. from runway, 26:1 slope to clear"

That's probably the hill or ground obstruction 16 ft high, 615 feet short of landing threshold, and it requires a steeper 26 to 1 ratio descent to clear.

[Yosemitest]

Reference the vertical descent rate and speed, if you'll notice the radar scan at 05:30 AM here,

you'll see a line of weather that United Parcel Service Flight 1354 had to either fly over or fly through
and that line of weather was approaching Birmingham Airport,
and that's probably the reason for the faster speed on descent out of cruse altitude.

[Yosemitest]

Also, that line of weather was probably the source of any micro-burst or lightening strikes during United Parcel Service Flight 1354’s final approach, and any lightening strikes and thunderous booms after the crash