What I thought was, what was the fundamental difference between this crew and the French test pilots who first flew an airbus A320 to Alfa floor.
And the simple answer to that is that the French test pilots approached the initiation of alfa protection with the greatest of caution. Being test pilots they had considered all possible outcomes including the possibility of non activation of that protection.
This crew did not because they are line pilots and their experience, in the sim on approach and inflight demonstrations all had positive outcomes.
The only thing left to alert them to the possibility of failure was the CA Manual but it reads "During deceleration observe - The alfa floor activation".
And so the difference between these two crews was "the expectation of possible outcomes", and what this crew needed was someone or something to alter their "expectation of possible outcomes".
But that did not occur.
And so there was no protection for them, in their training, in the paperwork, and finally in the aircraft systems themselves.