I'm not a pilot by any stretch of the imagination (barely able to control a car
) so I'm not qualified to comment on the technical matters here. I've been in the British Army for 28 years though, and am familiar with situations which are unexpected, sudden, require an immediate decision with rapid assimilation of data, would have catastrophic consequences if made wrongly and have many dependant souls. In such circumstances a combination of training and experience kick into play very quickly, and it's this combination that gives one confidence and allows one to think outside the (SOP) box if required. I'm gratified that, in this button-pushing age, some pilots still have the "gut knowledge" to take the correct action. (I know this debate continues elsewhere and although I have an opinion, I don't really want to get involved so please be gentle).
My real point though is this - Capt B sir, if you managed to get through those 30-odd seconds
without uttering a single expletive, then you are, truly, a better man than I.
Cap doffed