RE: Kentucky FEJ big Hawk Crash Video
Disco.
I will keep it brief. The stabilator in this case provides down force to keep the aircraft level with an opposite force to the center of lift which is normally behind the center of gravity. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_(aircraft) ) When they blew off, flaps would have only pitched the aircraft down harder due to the increased camber in the wing and movement of the center of lift to making the angle attack of the wing increase. The plane was basically an arrow at the point the stab departed. Ali, being a full scale pilot, not that he was thinking about this at the time, knew the aircraft was doomed and shut it down and let gravity take its course.