[Gritty]

Time of Useful Consciousness at 39,000 ft would be 15-20 seconds (approx., with no immediate supplemental oxygen) if there were a rapid depressurization. It would be extremely uncomfortable and immediately noticeable, and the cockpit would fill with condensation vapor (like smoke). Nonetheless, aircrew are trained to don readily available oxygen equipment immediately and they would begin "pressure breathing" and not pass out. If it were not a rapid decompression, there are cockpit warnings set up for when a certain cockpit altitude is reached an alarm would sound and warning lights display. They could then don their oxygen gear quickly.

It sounds as if the aircraft was in a controlled descent and the power must have been pulled back, possibly speed brakes used. "Somebody" was controlling the aircraft on the way down but "somebody" may have been the autopilot if it were set by the pilot at altitude for a controlled but rapid descent but it seems the pilot was perhaps no longer in control shortly thereafter. I suspect a pilot set the aircraft for an emergency descent, perhaps shortly after donning an oxygen mask.

However, the lack of radio communication with the ground is unusual. Notice of an emergency descent would have been given to Air Traffic Control by the pilot as soon as the situation was under control and the pilot had time to transmit, I would think. Therefore, it is probable the pilot(s) were incapacitated quickly after descent was initiated but before they could take other actions - either donning masks or calling ATC.

The debris field looks like a mid-air explosion. That is suspicious and does not look like the aircraft was flown uncontrolled into the ground but destroyed prior to impact at some altitude above it.

Methinks it is way too early to rule out terrorism, but the black box should tell the tale.

[RayChuang88]

That's why I said a sudden decompression of the passenger cabin is a real possibility. Remember what happened on the private jet Payne Stewart was flying on in 1999--the decompression happened so fast that the flight crew had no chance to quickly react to get the plane to a safer altitude.

If the Germanwings flight crew had one member donning an oxygen mask (mandatory for all flights above 30,000 feet according rules for international civil aviation organizations), even if the cockpit had a sudden decompression the flight crew member wearing the oxygen mask would easily have time to safely bring the plane down to around 12,000 feet altitude, which is the upper limit for passengers flying in an airplane with an unpressurized cockpit. That is unless both crew members did not wear an oxygen mask when the decompression occurred, which would incapacitate both crew members within 15-20 seconds flying above 30,000 feet.

[cherokee1]

Sure does look to me, from these pics, like it came apart in the air. The debris field is like it fell thru a sifter. I don’t see a skid mark. And fron seven miles up it still would take five or more minutes for it all to hit the ground. If it had started down before it got shredded that would explain the apparent nine minute descent.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Could have also been a murder-suicide in the cockpit by one of the pilots or a crew member.. I’m anxious to see the pilot’s names, especially.