Suicidal Pilot? Wow...
I don't know a lot about airplanes and flying but I've talked to pilots and overheard conversations and learned little bits and pieces here and there while at Porter (which flies the exact same aircraft). I think this could have been ice related. Many of the news stories are suggesting it could have played a factor, and it seems the most likely. Ice on a wing or tail is very serious. Since they were on approach, they were probably low enough that ice could have stalled the plane (called a tail-stall, I believe) and they had no chance for recovery. Usually to rectify an issue that serious it could take thousands of feet to get the plane back under control. It'd be the equivalent of black ice really.
The Q400 has heaters in the wings, but I don't know about the tail section, although it would seem to make sense for them to be present there as well. I think it was something very sudden and they were too low to the ground to fix it.
I don't know a lot about airplanes and flying but I've talked to pilots and overheard conversations and learned little bits and pieces here and there while at Porter (which flies the exact same aircraft). I think this could have been ice related. Many of the news stories are suggesting it could have played a factor, and it seems the most likely. Ice on a wing or tail is very serious. Since they were on approach, they were probably low enough that ice could have stalled the plane (called a tail-stall, I believe) and they had no chance for recovery. Usually to rectify an issue that serious it could take thousands of feet to get the plane back under control. It'd be the equivalent of black ice really.
Best to let the investigation determine what actually happened. News media in particular are notorious for relating unsubstantiated information as "possibilities" for a crash.
mjlo8, what are you talking about? The plane that had to be ditched in the Hudson was an airbus a320.