I don't put much weight on the meaning of the heading reversal. ALL of the following LOCA accidents involved a heading reversal or close approximation. None of them were "trying to return to the airport" - they were simply ~halfway through an out-of-control spiral at the moment of impact.
AF447
Colgan Air 3407
AirAsia 8501
I believe this aircraft simply just "rolled in" once the aerodynamics and/or the control systems and/or the crew were compromised by the missile strike.