Generally it seems the flight crew did an excellent job, and certainly got the plane down intact with 100% survival. However, out of curiosity I was looking at the event timing as read out by NTSB and I am wondering if those with commercial training or experience with decompression and emergency descent would comment on the reaction times in this situation and how it compares to your experience or simulator training. I have not found a time-stamped version of the ATC communications with which to correlate.
Decompression and emergency descent are "memory item" checklists. I read at least one CAP describe the simulator training as "You hear the bang, you execute the memory items without hesitation." B737 memory items are shown below (at least some historic version), note that CREW COMMUNICATIONS-ESTABLISH in the decompression checklist is between the pilots after donning masks, not with the cabin crew or ATC.
It took 1:08 after the event for the plane to start descending. Does that fit your expectations when considering reaction time and aircraft control/response time? What else may have been happening in what seems like a long minute? It took 4:27 to get down to 10,000ft while ascending at only 14,830.
