Part 5/9:
Upon realizing the aircraft was accelerating dangerously beyond the limits for the extended flaps, the captain ordered the first officer to retract them to 5 degrees. But by then, the plane had already dropped its nose significantly — a sign that it was entering a rapid descent. As the aircraft pitched down with an alarming rate of 8,000 feet per minute, the cockpit transformed into a scene of confusion.
The first officer struggled to understand the captain's actions; the plane was supposed to climb, not plunge. Their instruments showed a dire picture, with both pilots now aware that the aircraft was merely seconds away from crashing into the ocean.