Got this from another web site discussing the same incident. How true it is, I don't know but it appears to be a statement from someone with significant insider knowledge:
"the victor was being commanded by an ex pilot of that type but the throttle man was just a helper under instruction from the pilot when instructed to shut down the throttles he only reduced it a bit the pilot then told him all the way at witch point he panicked and went to full power instead the rest is history."