No AoA indication?
The key question here is - 'did the pilots have enough information to realise they were stalled, pitched up, throttles closed, and recover'?
I am surprised that in all this discussion (including that of the thoughtful Shadow) putting forward idea that the pilots didn't know what the AoA is, nobody has mentioned the backup AI (about 6 inches to the right of the captains MFD)? Was it really not noticed by 3 experienced pilots that the there was a huge difference between PFD and backup AI, which would have indicated a big pitch up, and yes (as mentioned by another poster) - no noise in the flight deck? Isn't this why the backup instruments are there? Or am I missing something (only a humble PPL/IR)?
Obviously there's a fundamental difference between AoA and attitude (ie the vertical speed of the air) but I am trying to think of a conceivable Wx scenario that would deliver up to 40 degrees pitch up on the AI with closed throttles for an extended period, and not indicate a stall.
nitpicker330 - yes! Power+Attitude=Performance. They had power - they had a backup AI. They also had, I presume, an 'alternate air' feed (like my Mooney!) which would have got the altimeters working again, at least the backup ... There was a lack of training and/or airmanship here, probably a huge dollop of denial (surely EVERYTHING can't have gone wrong!), though it looks as if Airbus need to seriously look at some kind of mechanism to warn the pilots if the computer lacks confidence in it's view of the world (due to inconsistent inputs) and advise the pilots to check the backup instruments.
We have all been trained and examined in the effects of icing in the instrumentation. It seems amazing that 3 experienced pilots wouldn't have guessed something was up, especially IR onwards.
All in all, I am concerned that it can't be as portayed as those 3 guys should have figured out what was happening.