A weakness of the DODAR structure favoured, I understand, by BA, is that ‘diagnose’ must follow the absent ‘gather’...
Regarding ATC: Controllers are warned not to interrupt flight crew who may be busy, but always stand ready to answer an enquiry. If the commander needs information about the state of his aircraft it is entirely his responsibility to seek it, whether that means opening the window and looking out, asking the cabin crew, or asking ATC.
This is not the only recent high-profile BA event in which the commander has not sought the necessary information as diligently as he should have done, in my opinion, and it’s one of the reasons why I favour other operators when travelling.