Oh Dear, this will be controversial....VYSE is best S/E ROC.....why would you wish to climb? Keeping clear of VMCA to maintain altitude is more important. He wanted to MAINTAIN altitude, not gain altitude. My point being, blue line is a book figure only, in reality it may not give you the best ROC or in this case ROD. Nurse the "good engine, don't flog it to death. MCP for extended periods in a 31 is inviting trouble. Doesn't take long for everything to go into the red. Look, this bloke had enough hours in them to know what goes on.....something was amiss with the live engine. It was all downhill for him. I reckon his fate was sealed very early in the situation.
FWIW, I have often failed outboard engines while turning inbound in a non precision approach and was always flabbergasted why some people applied full power (parrot fashion) to the live engine and adopt vyse.... and commence a climb....when in fact they are on approach and want the thing to go down!! Most of the time in the melee they end up in no mans land at some ungodly altitude when in fact the rwy was almost in front of them and not far away. Different circumstances call for different reactions.
Good posts Krusty!