Some good (as far as I can tell) input on the NOVA episode at
Flight Level 390, blog of an active Airbus skipper.
There seems to be some censoring in this forum against B_l_o_g_s_p_o_t (comes out ********) so I created a shortlink:
Flight Level 390: AF 447... Part 3
The show portrays the pilots as confused and trying to understand the multiple warnings being thrown at them from Fi-Fi's electronic monitoring system as they penetrate the storms. The co-pilot is seen looking through a Quick Reference Checklist. I can (mostly) guarantee you that this was the furthest thing from their minds.
"Fi-Fi" is the blogger's name for the Airbus.