article_snippet: Nor, it seems, was takeoff.
article_snippet: the plane leveled off at 38,000 feet, the plane cruising altitude.
article_snippet: This wasn't like the plane suddenly jerked down, plunging straight into the ground.
article_snippet: Authorities described a steady descent at a rate of about 3,000 to 3,500 feet (or roughly 1,000 meters) per minute.
article_snippet: Still, it is the kind of descent you'd expect while nearing an airport -- not traversing the Alps.
highlights_snippet: After leveling off at 38,000 feet, Germanwings Flight 9525 descended steadily before hitting the Alps .
  