> I am aware of the "pitch-up" condition
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch-up), but an aerodynamic behavior
> limited to "Equator-specific ocean weather" is news to me.  A reference
> to the basis of this phenomenon please?
>

Sorry, no references. But besides Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, - Air
France Flight 447, Yemenia Flight 626, all were night flights crossing
Equator over ocean. They, at [airplane manufacturer BIG NAME] know the
phenomenon. You may wish to see a bunch of P-3 Orions patrolling Pacific
for weather conditions on Equator between US West coast and NZ/Australia
for civil night flights starting from the end of March till the middle of
April, 2014 (the location and time of the probable next instance of the
phenomenon). From what I could imagine, P-3 Orion is among only few if not
the only plane with the air-frame and engines to withstand the phenomenon.
The above is nothing more than just pure speculation, but, still, in case
my participation makes sense, I could be reached through the channel
depicted as "good guys" in the film "The Gift", 2009 :-)   "Relax, I'm a
professional." by Max Peterson,  the character from the film. (not the one
with the same phrase from great "Ferris Bueller's Day Off")
:-)
--=20
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