Windsheer
Out of my league, but could the assumed loss of situational awareness been due to belief of a non-existing wind sheer pulling the plane first up and then down?
I mean, purely from psychological point of view, they just entered a weather front, then loose speed indication and for what ever reason the plane is first rapidly gaining altitude only to loose it soon after. Could this be part of the scenario, making the believed wrong calls a bit easier to comprehend?