The debris field looks very different from an impact. That type of field projects in the direction of flight. This is scattered across ravines, with no “shadowing” like happens in an impact (where the debris is not found in lower places in the direction of flight).
A vertical impact shatters like this, but it stays very confined. 2km is too big for vertical impact, and this shows the small pieces that only disintegration can achieve.
So, if not vertical, it disintegrated in flight. For disintegration it has to be enough energy to shatter most, if not all, close to the same time. Based upon the radar returns (which might simply be an average of the flight path, and if so invalid), a moderate explosion that took out the nose of the aircraft would allow it to continue flying, and eventually in thicker air the airspeed would “peel back” the remainder of the aircraft in very small pieces like this.
That is just a theory, but most certainly this is not an impact debris field.
One news source reports that the ‘black box’ has been recovered. Given the debris field that’s somewhat surprising.
If it “disntergrated in flight”, the debris would be scattered over miles, not hundreds of yards.
No, I think it was intact when it went in. There isn’t anything that supports any other theory, right now.
I come back to my original supposition from the main thread.
Gradual depressurization at altitude, not recognized by the crew until it was too late. Hypoxia at altitude is insidious, and very hard to recognize, until it is too late.
The descent was fast, but CONTROLLED. It did not overload the airframe.
This leads me to think someone turned the autopilot altitude down, maybe just before passing out?? The lack of a mayday is the key part, and what leads me to think Hypoxia.
It has happened before, several times.
...curious as to your take on the chart shown in post #44.