voltage;
If I am reading the report correctly, the A/T was active until it kicked off due to the split condition (EPR 1.2 vs. reverse). So scenario 2 applies, and the "offending" TL might have been out of detent fwd by only half an inch?
No. Scenario 2 is not accurately stated.
A half-inch thrust lever displacement would produce about 40 to 50% power if I recall. The statement that a half-inch from the IDLE detent could deliver as much as "climb thrust", is incorrect. Engine thrust is limited by the TLA even when the autothrust is ON and Active. If the thrust lever is out of the CLB, (Climb) detent, engine thrust will be limited to the thrust level equivalent to that thrust lever position and will not produce climb thrust. This is a fundamental, key understanding of the autothrust system when flying the A320/A330 series aircraft.
With the levers split as they were, the autothrust did disconnect. The reference for the #2 FADEC then was limited by the thrust lever position, which was about 24deg or essentially full thrust.
The DFDR traces were provided very soon after the accident. The engine thrust being developed by #2 engine as shown in the DFDR traces was indeed 1.2EPR, which is equivalent to about 92 to 95% N1. The report doesn't have provide the N1 traces for #1 and #2 engine. The TLA of #2 thrust lever was just below 25deg so it was in the CLB detent until the end of the recording.
The #2 engine was essentially developing almost full thrust while #1 was in full reverse, (shown by fuel flows being about the same for both engines but the TLA for #1 was about -20deg).