When hopping from one time-frame to another, I'm not sure which accident you are referring to, but in the case of the pilot that was pulling hard back until impact, then one has to imagine those last few seconds.
Practically any line pilot will be aware that pulling back like that will be catastrophic. All his skills spent, what he is left with is outside any imagined scenario short of a nightmare. I have no doubt that at this stage he will be in shock; pulling the controls into his gut, just a symptom.
I occasionally bring to mind the horrific image of a young American sailor, one of several hauled aloft on the mooring line by a dirigible. Some hung on and some let go quickly, but one fell from 100 feet or so. All the way down he was running...it made no sense at all, but his legs kept pounding away until he hit the ground.
None of us know when we will cross that threshold.