[leadpenny]

In fact, when faced with a nose down situation pilots usually pull back on the throttle and this sudden (apparent) loss of power may lead the untrained observer to think the engine quite when in fact it had not.

I mentioned something like that on another theard over the weekend. Especially if you're low and and you have a windscreen full of ground at low altitude. The sound of the engine sputtering (throttle pulled back) could have hit the ears of those on the ground before they saw the spiral.

[Gunrunner2]

Great minds think alike.

;-)