see if you can work out the answer.
The answer I keep coming up with is one that doesn't reflect well on the crew. Not only do you have the "barber pole" segment on the speed tape rushing up towards your current IAS, but the appearance of the Pitch Limit Indicators would be yet another clue. To say that they were "too busy" to notice is simply breathtaking. What's more important?
it is even more rare to have such a large aircraft at so low a speed .
Really? I've been out of this world for over 10 years now, and even then higher altitude holding wasn't rare.