Huck,
Grossly unfair remark....
Count off thirteen seconds, and tell me what you would have done in that time.
I am a maintenance test pilot on MD-11F aircraft. I execute max power ground runs about twice a month.
What would I have done? Same thing I always plan on doing - Throttles idle, max manual braking, shut down one or more engines if things don't get better.
If you're cinched down hard in your seat with your hands and feet on the controls (and you damn well should be) I can do all that in a second or two.
In other words, if you're not a pilot, you better be prepared to act like one if you ever start moving during a high power ground run.
I have absolutely no concept of what distraction or thought process could delay these vital reactions. I could give the same scenario to a 10-hour private pilot student in a Cessna 150 and his/her reaction would be the same - wipe off power, max braking.
What happened here? I have no concept whatsoever. Unless both front-enders fell out of their seats, somebody should have been on the throttles within 2 seconds. If not them, the jumpseater.