Back to Basics (2)
Oh yes, pmansion, I HAVE read that!
The first ND inputs were recorded between 02:10:05 and 02:10:51 -- the Captain re-entered the cockpit at 02:11:40.
The PF obviously wanted to bleed off some of the incredible VS of the airplane (and did so: 7000 to 700 ft./ min.). Why were they climbing so fast? I would say, because the PF inadvertendly induced a little nose up pitch, when correcting the right roll (02:10:05). Used to AP flying when at night and/or IMC it is not so easy to fly a clean straight line on instruments by hand. PLUS the startle of the AP+AThr disengage and the Wx-induced stress.
The stall warning in that phase must have been triggered by the erroneous airspeed breakdown. The pilots dealt with that by doing NOTHING (= nothing wrong). No need to.
Shortly before 02:10:51 they were nearly fine (but probably at their mental limits): 37500 fts and climbing with 700 fts/min with an AOA of 4° -- no trouble, but now speed down to around 215kts. That means stall and I think that is the moment when they lost the plane (first mentally, shortly after actually).
This time they didn't question the warning (by plausibility check), they simply followed procedures, they were behind their plane -- and flew into the deep stall. When the Captain entered the cockpit again; they were back down to 35000 and in the 'no-airspeed'-zone again.
Then, the second ND-input-phase (02:12:17), which could have changed everything. But, due to the lack of situational overview, at the next stall warning signal, they followed procedures again -- and threw their last chance away.
The PF said: 'Go ahead, You have control'. The wording is clearly NOT a confirmation, but a request: For me proof of the PF giving up. The procedure he (and two other pilots too!) were trained for doesn't work out. The end is known.
And there I am again: Do we overtrain pilots, do we encourage them to stop thinking and only follow procedures? There will always at some time arise a situation, where there is no procedure to be followed, because the situation is new, where common (flying-) sense is necessary and MAY save lives.
And there's my point again: Back to Basics!