but the Captain stated that he usually activates the Bulk Erase feature at the conclusion of each flight but he could not recall having done so this time.
With so much adrenelin coursing through this crew, it is perhaps noteworthy that the Captain did not recall whether he had or had not followed his
usual practice of erasing the flight recorder ?
Having narrowly survived such a potentially catastophic event, erasing one of the two primary sources of recorded evidence (the FDR couldn't be erased,) would be such a strange course of action, that you might reasonably think the Captain would remember either taking this course of action or not?
ALPA of course were present to advocate the position of one of their members.