[blantonl]

Ceilings were 800 feet, so they were in the clouds almost immediately after departure. The weather in the area that day was terrible and extremely turbulent. I think you drastically underestimate how powerful spacial disorientation is. Given the passengers lost all visual cues just after taking off, and there was likely at least moderate turbulence on climb out, the passengers probably just felt like it was a bumpy climb out. The human body doesn't register progressive falling very well without visual cues.

[throwayyy479087]

That amount of freefall would absolutely register. Falling is one thing - being weightless for a few seconds is absolutely noticeable.