Ok, if anyone wants to correct me on specific technical aspects of the Q400 feel free....otherwise I still think that the pitch-up can be easily explained without resorting to pilot-inputs or malfunctions. I proposed what I think is a very possible scenerio in post #741,
Here is my take on the accident:
It seems to me that icing was not as much an aerodynamical problem as it was a distraction for the crew. The pilot flying allowed the airspeed to decay and when the stick shaker activated one or both of the pilots recognized the low-speed situation and called for go-around power. With the significant nose-up trim that the aircraft would have been holding, the addition of power (with the autopilot now kicked off) would have initially pitched the nose up. I think the nose would have pitched up even without the pilot's input. As the pitch increased and the plane stalled the pusher would activate and lead to a rapid pitch decrease. The amount of ice present MAY (and I emphasize MAY) have decreased aircraft controllability during the upset. Once the upset began at this relatively low altitude the crew didn't have the time or altitude to properly recognize what was happening and recover.
As I understand, the autopilot is automatically disengaged at stickshaker activation and there are another couple of degrees of AoA before stickpusher activation. If anyone can verify this specifically it would be appreciated.
Again, if the pilot(s) applied max/firewall power at the stickshaker I believe the trim setting (normal for the speed the A/P disconnected at) and the excess power would lead to a rapidly increasing pitch situation that could realistically achieve ~30 degrees before stickpusher activation.