Brian
Deadstick after all perhaps? In which case kudos for a good job in pulling it off if that be the case.
If it was TRULY a deadstick, then I think the the pilot did a good job in keeping the aircraft in a flying attitude until it hit something.
I don't think he would have had a clue where the water was in the conditions, and given that he was flying into a black hole, it would have been so easy to have allowed the aircraft to roll off the straight and level.
This accident has given me a new thing to be thankful for....I'm SO glad it wasn't me !!