Yes, don‘t think many will be surprised if it comes down to exactly that. And 2 pilots on board, which would normally mitigate disorientation. 2 pilots, but a stick with one grip mid-air, no attitude datum, no trim, no damping - odds of a successful intervention by non-disoriented colleague?
I was assuming they had at least a high and stable cloud base. But charging off low in those conditions in an aircraft without stick trim? What kind of work conditions are those and where is the safety culture?