Is it possible that the plane just plummeted into the sea as a whole and there wouldn't be much debris and the plane would remain mostly in tact just sunken? Just curious.
Anything is possible right now.. because again, we haven't seen anything conclusive of the wreckage... so no one can make any kind of valid statement that would reflect such knowledge...
The best answer I can provide for this I guess would be a brief explanation of V-Speeds and airframe structural limitations...
I'm not in any way qualified on the 777-200 aircraft type we're discussing here, so assume these speeds are estimations and have many variables depending on configuration of the aircraft, altitude and a whole host of other things (could go on for pages i think!)
V speeds are critical airspeeds of an aircraft's performance envelope.
They include these critical maximums that are relative to this question (There are more):
V4 Steady initial climb speed. The all engines operating take-off climb speed used to the point where acceleration to flap retraction speed is initiated. Should be attained by a gross height of 400 feet.
VA Design maneuvering speed. This is the speed above which it is unwise to make full application of any single flight control (or "pull to the stops") as it may generate a force greater than the aircraft's structural limitations.
VB Design speed for maximum gust intensity.
VC Design cruise speed, used to show compliance with gust intensity loading.
VFC Maximum speed for stability characteristics.
VH Maximum speed in level flight at maximum continuous power.
VMO Maximum operating limit speed.
VNE Never exceed speed.
VNO Maximum structural cruising speed or maximum speed for normal operations.
Whilst all of these have their relevance depending on the circumstances (Navigating through turbulence and considerations of altitude and air density), Vref is the one that is critical here.
Vref is again, calculated with many variables that will influence the final actual Vref speed. Factors such as configuration, Flight Level, Engine type fitted and external stores to name a few...
Basically speaking, Vref is the airspeed at which the design limitations of the airframe are reached and there is a high likely hood of structural damage to the airframe and control surfaces occurring. Put simply, that's not something you want to do!
For the purposes of this question, lets assume the aircraft did not have an explosive decompression occur at altitude (by whatever cause) and the aircraft made the decent "intact".
The aircraft would very quickly approach supersonic speeds. The cruise speed is around .85 Mach (again rough figure) and it only needs another .15 Mach (lets call it say 90knts) before its pushing that. Add to that an uncontrolled steep dive attitude, engines that are still providing thrust and the thinner air at the higher altitude in the early part of the dive and by the time the aircraft is coming through 10,000ft - its likely that serious structural damage has already occurred... engines would have torn from the wing mounts, tail surfaces (rudder, elevator trims etc) may have torn off as the aircrew fought the dive in full deflection of surfaces (a no no!) and I have serious doubts as to if the wings would still be there too...
They're just not designed for that kind of aerodynamic stress.
The Air France A-330 "pancaked" flat as an essentially intact airframe upon impact because the stall was flat and the aircrews failure to react to the stall correctly. (Won't go into that now)
That "flat" falling would have allowed the aircraft to stay that way for the most part, with the pilots trying to pull the nose up on an aircraft with essentially zero ground speed.
But if the MA 777 descended in a nose down high angle descent from start to finish, then its fair to assume that it would have impacted at over supersonic speeds - and the result could look anything from the pics that are being posted here now, and anything in between, depending on the terrain on which it impaced (water, swamp, hard land).
Again, variable, but very very roughly speaking, the Vref of a 777-200 from what I can gather is about .89 Mach...
