Mmm! Auto pilot drops out. On an Airbus that only means that the guidance has dropped out. Autopilot is still in, bit like CWS on a Boe. You only get to No Autopilot in direct law. See my previous. Also the way the 330 flight control computers are configured is a little different to the smaller fbw.. Better IMHO
Again let's give the relatively experienced pilots on that day have the benefit of any doubt until the report is out.. Maybe then would be the time to analyse why things went so badly wrong.