Not exactly the case. The flight crew were two XL line pilots asked to do an Alpha Protections test without full knowledge of how the aircraft would behave as it approached the stall. The test should have been carried out at above FL100 but commercial pressure resulted in the test being undertaken without ATC knowledge while being vectored on approach at about FL030. The third seat was occupied by the AirNZ check pilot tasked with overseeing the end of lease handover by XL to AirNZ.
A full read of the report will reveal all.