Just reading the article, it looks as if the windshield failure somehow caused the rest of the airplane to get all bendy and break.
Is there more to the story? Most folks get 'all' their 'knowledge' from the mainstream news sources and may get the idea that
these airplanes are unusually fragile.
The windshield failure and the airplane getting "bendy" aren't really related except by the windshield causing the crew's actions.
What happened is the crew dumped the cabin pressure (normally it's pressurized so it's like you're at a lower altitude). They failed to get oxygen (reasons unknown at this time) and passed out. When they came to they were in the descent.
Now, the aircraft isn't going to react very much from just losing cabin pressure and the windshield won't really cause a problem with the flight characteristics since it didn't actually break.
It's unclear to me whether they tried to initiate an emergency descent or not after they disconnected the autopilot.
Emergency descent for a B1900 (should be very similiar or the same to this kingair):
Props forward
Power Idle (the two combined is a LOT of drag to slow you down).
Flaps takeoff (once below speed)
Gear Down (once below speed, 180 kts).
Maintian 180 kts and 30 degrees of bank.
This keeps you below any limitations on the airframe while keeping you in a very fast descent.
Obvious from the start is that they easily exceeded 180 kts. They also would have exceeded barber pole (mach related limitation that changes with altitude) and I'd bet Vne. How fast they tried to initiate a recovery at high speeds may have also affected the airframe (the last thing you want to do is just yank back on the yoke trying to level off as that can cause damage like you see). Above manuevering speed (188 kts in a 1900) full control deflection can cause aircraft damage and the aircraft will not stall before exceeding limitations.
My guess is they never got to the point of starting the emergency descent checklist, but I'm not sure. Pictures of the flaps would help indicate whether they were deployed as well as the gear doors. My theory is they somehow had a pull to the left or the right and the aircraft rolled over on its back, starting the descent as it rolled. This could be either trim related or one of the pilots giving input as he started to pass out and holding the force in as he was passing out. That's the only way that the aircraft would vary that much from its trimmed airspeed that I can think of. Once you start getting to the 90 degree point (in bank) the airspeed will be climbing dramatically and once the aircraft is on it's back the trim forces pitch it down as they attempt to decrease airspeed, increasing pitch with the increase in airspeed resulting in a very rapid airspeed gain. This is essentially a Split S manuever (think, roll inverted and do a half loop to come out on the bottom in level flight). Without props up and idle power, the amount of drag is significantly reduced. Even if the manuever is possible given an appropriate aircraft configuration, I doubt it is with cruise power set on the aircraft.
