I think that is ground speed. Which would make sense.

The vertical speed was last indicated at about -31,000 FPM or 306 KTS downward. The ground speed through most the fall/dive was about 450 KTS.

Now to get geeky, if you sum the vectors of the horizontal and vertical speeds, you get a 544 KTS (626 MPH!!) actual speed of the aircraft.

I don't know what the terminal velocity of a tumbling 737 is, but I doubt its even in the ball park of 626 MPH. So definitely a powered dive.

EDIT: Calculating the actual speed from the horizontal and vertical vectors also gives us a downward angle (on overage) of -55 degrees, incase that is useful to our plane fags.

I think that is ground speed. Which would make sense.

The vertical speed was last indicated at about -31,000 FPM or 306 KTS downward. The ground speed through most the fall/dive was about 450 KTS.

Now to get geeky, if you sum the vectors of the horizontal and vertical speeds, you get a 544 KTS (626 MPH!!) actual speed of the aircraft.

I don't know what the terminal velocity of a tumbling 737 is, but I doubt its even in the ball park of 626 MPH. So definitely a powered dive.