[Celtic Conservative]

Rapid drops in altitude? sounds like a microburst/windshear. From what I've gleaned from other posts there were thunderstorms in the area, that's prime breeding grounds for microbursts. FAA mandates most aircraft to have microburst warning/recovery equipment though.

CC

[machogirl]

It sounds like that, the radar (doppler) from the time period wasn’t showing any thunderstorms in that area. The area about an hour or so west (rain band moving time) was showing some thunder cells.

Must be something specific. The airport didn’t shut down arrivals/departures at all. (or if i missed that, only for a VERY small time period)

[tcrlaf]

Real heavy sink rate before landing.

Also, per Airliners, no Glide Slope on Runway 18, and the Glideslope was inop for repairs on Runway 24.

Either something broke, or this is yet another case of electronics flying the airplane into the ground, with the crew too reliant on it, until the last moment.

[Yosemitest]

I'm guessing you're correct.
The KBHM field elevation is 650 MSL at the approach end of RWY 24 and I'm guessing an Airbus A300 would need RWY 24 instead of RWY 18.
Looking at the Flight Track Log the last altitude was 1,500 Ft MSL.
But I suspect the data is incomplete.

Time	Position		Orientation		Groundspeed		Altitude		Reporting Facility
EDT	Latitude	Longitude	Course	Direction	KTS	MPH	feet	Rate	Location/Type
04:54AM	38.1700	-85.7290	222°	Southwest					FlightAware
04:57AM	37.9803	-85.7094	171°	South					FlightAware Approximate
05:00AM	37.9401	-85.7013	171°	South					FlightAware Approximate
05:01AM	37.8341	-85.6968	171°	South					FlightAware Approximate
05:02AM	37.7289	-85.6791	175°	South					FlightAware Approximate
05:03AM	37.6231	-85.6674	175°	South					FlightAware Approximate
05:03AM	38.1740	-85.7270	175°	South	125	144			FlightAware
05:03AM	38.1880	-85.7320	344°	North	168	193	800		FlightAware
05:03AM	38.2030	-85.7380	343°	North	170	196	1,900	2,520	FlightAware
05:04AM	38.2180	-85.7460	337°	Northwest	192	221	2,500	1,500	FlightAware
05:04AM	38.2370	-85.7550	340°	North	231	266	2,900	1,260	FlightAware
05:04AM	38.2500	-85.7600	343°	North	249	287	3,200	1,860	FlightAware
05:04AM	38.2550	-85.7610	351°	North	250	288	3,400	3,420	FlightAware
05:05AM	38.2810	-85.7500	18°	North	254	292	4,800	3,480	FlightAware
05:05AM	38.2890	-85.7370	52°	Northeast	259	298	5,500	3,540	FlightAware
05:05AM	38.2940	-85.7220	67°	East	264	304	6,100	3,300	FlightAware
05:05AM	38.2950	-85.7100	84°	East	271	312	6,500	2,700	FlightAware
05:05AM	38.2840	-85.6740	111°	Southeast	288	331	7,600	2,760	FlightAware
05:06AM	38.2780	-85.6660	134°	Southeast	292	336	7,900	2,760	FlightAware
05:06AM	38.2690	-85.6570	142°	Southeast	296	341	8,300	2,700	FlightAware
05:06AM	38.2560	-85.6490	154°	Southeast	300	345	8,800	2,700	FlightAware
05:06AM	38.2430	-85.6450	166°	South	302	348	9,200	2,160	FlightAware
05:06AM	38.2050	-85.6580	195°	South	315	362	10,100	1,920	FlightAware
05:07AM	38.1530	-85.6810	199°	South	358	412	11,200	1,620	FlightAware
05:08AM	38.0910	-85.6970	191°	South	394	453	12,100	2,160	FlightAware
05:08AM	38.0240	-85.7140	191°	South	403	464	13,800	2,640	FlightAware
05:09AM	37.9660	-85.7280	191°	South	412	474	15,100	2,520	FlightAware
05:09AM	37.9000	-85.7450	191°	South	420	483	16,600	2,460	FlightAware
05:10AM	37.8270	-85.7630	191°	South	426	490	18,100	2,400	FlightAware
05:11AM	37.7580	-85.7790	190°	South	430	495	19,600	2,280	FlightAware
05:11AM	37.6850	-85.7970	191°	South	435	501	20,900	1,980	FlightAware
05:12AM	37.6360	-85.8090	191°	South	441	507	21,700	1,980	FlightAware
05:12AM	37.5490	-85.8300	191°	South	447	514	23,200	1,800	FlightAware
05:13AM	37.4740	-85.8490	191°	South	458	527	24,100	1,500	FlightAware
05:13AM	37.4160	-85.8630	191°	South	460	529	24,900	2,100	FlightAware
05:14AM	37.3200	-85.8860	191°	South	454	522	26,700	2,160	FlightAware
05:15AM	37.2600	-85.9000	191°	South	452	520	27,700	1,680	FlightAware
05:15AM	37.2259	-85.9086	191°	South	451	519	28,000	240	FlightAware
05:16AM	37.1017	-85.9384	191°	South	486	559	28,000		FlightAware
05:17AM	37.0162	-85.9591	191°	South	484	557	28,000		FlightAware
05:17AM	36.9289	-85.9798	191°	South	478	550	28,000		FlightAware
05:18AM	36.8598	-85.9966	191°	South	480	552	28,000		FlightAware
05:18AM	36.7931	-86.0125	191°	South	482	555	28,000		FlightAware
05:19AM	36.7274	-86.0281	191°	South	478	550	28,000		FlightAware
05:19AM	36.6608	-86.0438	191°	South	474	545	28,000		FlightAware
05:20AM	36.5944	-86.0598	191°	South	480	552	28,000		FlightAware
05:20AM	36.5277	-86.0758	191°	South	484	557	28,000		FlightAware
05:21AM	36.4595	-86.0922	191°	South	485	558	28,000		FlightAware
05:21AM	36.3762	-86.1119	191°	South	482	555	28,000		FlightAware
05:22AM	36.3087	-86.1278	191°	South	481	554	28,000		FlightAware
05:23AM	36.2195	-86.1484	191°	South	481	554	28,000		FlightAware
05:23AM	36.1527	-86.1642	191°	South	481	554	28,000		FlightAware
05:24AM	36.0861	-86.1797	191°	South	479	551	28,000		FlightAware
05:24AM	36.0159	-86.1960	191°	12/td /nbsp; width=191rightcenter	South	477	549	28,000		FlightAware
05:25AM	35.9494	-86.2118	191°	South	476	548	28,000		FlightAware
05:25AM	35.8760	-86.2290	191°	South	476	548	28,000		FlightAware
05:26AM	35.8308	-86.2395	191°	South	476	548	28,000		FlightAware
05:27AM	35.7083	-86.2677	191°	South	476	548	28,000		FlightAware
05:27AM	35.6201	-86.2882	191°	South	474	545	28,000		FlightAware
05:28AM	35.5520	-86.3040	191°	South	469	540	28,000		FlightAware
05:28AM	35.5258	-86.3101	191°	South	471	542	28,000		FlightAware
05:28AM	35.4617	-86.3248	191°	South	466	536	28,000		FlightAware
05:29AM	35.3980	-86.3394	191°	South	466	536	28,000		FlightAware
05:30AM	35.3247	-86.3564	191°	South	464	534	28,000		FlightAware
05:30AM	35.2496	-86.3738	191°	South	462	532	28,000		FlightAware
05:31AM	35.1861	-86.3884	191°	South	461	531	28,000		FlightAware
05:31AM	35.1228	-86.4028	191°	South	460	529	28,000		FlightAware
05:32AM	35.0570	-86.4176	190°	South	460	529	28,000	-840	FlightAware
05:32AM	34.9840	-86.4344	191°	South	463	533	27,100	-1,740	FlightAware
05:33AM	34.9190	-86.4496	191°	South	465	535	26,100	-1,980	FlightAware
05:33AM	34.8474	-86.4658	191°	South	452	520	25,000	-2,040	FlightAware
05:35AM	34.6814	-86.5034	191°	South	447	514	22,200	-1,980	FlightAware
05:40AM	34.1040	-86.6340	191°	South	387	445	12,300	-1,800	FlightAware
05:40AM	34.0470	-86.6460	190°	South	387	445	12,000	-300	FlightAware
05:41AM	33.9930	-86.6570	190°	South	387	445	12,000		FlightAware
05:42AM	33.9380	-86.6690	190°	South	387	445	12,000	-1,920	FlightAware
05:42AM	33.8770	-86.6880	194°	South	346	398	9,600	-3,360	FlightAware
05:42AM	33.8750	-86.6900	220°	Southwest	288	331	9,500	-240	FlightAware
05:43AM	33.8490	-86.7040	204°	Southwest	288	331	9,500		FlightAware
05:43AM	33.8230	-86.7190	206°	Southwest	288	331	9,500	-3,960	FlightAware
05:44AM	33.7760	-86.7480	207°	Southwest	275	316	5,500	-5,520	FlightAware
05:44AM	33.7247	-86.7489	207°	Southwest	278	320	2,600	-1,860	Atlanta Center
05:45AM	33.6644	-86.7469	178°	South	248	285	2,500	-420	Atlanta Center
05:46AM	33.6206	-86.7456	178°	South	200	230	1,800	-540	Atlanta Center
05:47AM	33.5681	-86.7539	188°	South	191	220	1,500	-300	Atlanta Center