[bongodriver]

Yes it's a difficult job environment but does it means that we have to excuse any potential fails ? No !

until a full and clear examination of the case is concluded nobody know who or what failed......no excuses being made as far as I can see.

By the way didn't they have a valid instrumented alt indication ?

Debateable......with a failed pitot/static system then there is no valid alt or airspeed data.

Regarding icing conditions at low alt that's it's a totally different situation : it's an external factor !

just like many other potentially fatal situations.....windshear/microburst, the recovery from encountering windshear actually requires the aircrew to pull up to the stick shaker (but must not go beyond into the stall) and use full power and maintain untill a positive indication of climb is achieved and all indications of widshear are clear, icing conditions can't be ruled out given their situation, ice is commonly encountered in storms and we use the anti ice system in conditions of visible water vapour in temparatures between +10 to -40, not sure how it makes sense to rule out icing...it is still a condition that requires the correct actions to recover from.

I might add that in the case of encountering windshear, irrespective of how correctly the crew have reacted they are at the mercy of the conditions, the crews actions can only gurantee the best chance of making it through but the outcome is down to the strength and duration of the event and perhaps the altitude the event is encountered given that it is mainly only a problem if encounterted during approach or departure.