You,
Some of us here have said pretty much what you just did.
Early on I questioned the level off at 800 feet and the return to a near normal cruise speed. That was after the radio conversation with Cougar Ops.
I posed a question that suggested the crew made a decision to continue flight despite the last line in the checklist that instructed them to "Land Immediately!" and I queried what that decision was based upon. I still do.
These were professional pilots, well trained, dedicated to their work. They died as a result of that decision which I am sure was not made lightly or without due regard to the checklist and both their experience and training.
Asking how this chain of events occurred is certainly a valid issue to be discussed here, in future training, and in CRM venues.
One thing to remember however, is Pilots die from their decisions, Pilots also die from Engineer's decisions, Engineers get to bury the results of their bad decisions. That is why we will always be a bit demanding of those who design, build, and maintain our flyiing machines.