CONF iture:
A/THR ON Engine output can be anywhere between idle and climb thrust as long as the thrust lever is not at the idle stop. As an example , one thrust lever could be only half an inch above idle stop and the engine could deliver as much as climb thrust (very unconventional)
Sorry to disagree, but that's not truth. With A/THR ON, if you retard the thrust levers to a lower (than Climb) intermediate setting of TLU you will limit the Auto-thrust to a certain amount directly related to that particular TLU angle. A/Thrust will only be able to use an amount of thrust between Idle and that particular TLU setting.
By the way, I find the work of the Brazilian Investigators much better than expected and some issues like Human Factors were well addressed.. Some of the BEA comments are only a mirror of the widely known Airbus Industrie's incapacity (or should I say, unwillingness) for a change.