Quote: "I’m not rated on the 737, but I assume that the control column would have been fully deflected as the AP applied aileron to correct. Is that right? "
Not really, the 737 AP will disconnect when unable to hold a course or heading selected in the MCP, even in LNAV under certain conditions. The initial roll of 45 degrees should have been managed by the crew..
It seems they are not the only crew bitten in the arse by a 735:
https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/...140072.article
As an observation, It appears the transition from AP to manual flight, coupled with lack of diagnosis and CRM is an "ongoing trend"
When we teach Upset recovery, normally the PF is told to close their eyes and then open when the condition has established, and depending on our degree of nastiness, I've never seen a crew that couldn't eventually recover, some make a mess, but having said that, sitting in the comfort of a sim is a world apart as psychologically you know there is a safety net. The guys that do mess up always say " I would never do that in the REAL aircraft" nonsense, that's exactly what they would do.
I just got two things out of my draw, my "bottom dollar" to bet its a CRM issue and "my hat" to eat if it's not!