@intrance
could still influence the FD bars right?
so yes they would gain speed in the MCT setting as ATHR becomes inactive but if they go back to the CLB detent the ATHR kicks back in (see the second pdf and scroll to the nice diagram).
a trainee flying the FD bars could then produce the strange behaviour of the plane not wanting to climb. dual input would sound as described but maybe it wasn't recognized properly as described in other posts.
and as for the second pdf:
the PIC had more than enough thrust and speed to climb but he didn't. (in the diagram you can see the airspeed being quite high and they are still descending)
so even as he was controlling the aircraft he was probably following the FD.
even the training captain taking control might have fallen for this stuff even if he shouldn't have.
too bad FDR data is not just made public at the start of the investigation now that would reduce the speculation on defects and human factor not what actually happened
