So I posted my excerpts from the F-16 Code One magazine. It showed the pitch moment versus AoA for our little jet, and had the statement by a test pilot concerning what it felt like - a Sunday drive except for the rapidly unwinding altimeter. Due to great aerodynamics and a control feature that used the rudder to arrest yaw once A0A was beyond the normal "limit" ( out of control of the pilot, BTW, just the confusers trying to "help" you), there is little, if any, yaw. Due to our leading edge flaps we also had very little buffet to tell you, "hey, you hamburger, you just got us into a deep stall!".
First of all, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and stories, makes always for a fascinating read.
I'd be ready to go with the idea that they didn't see (or didn't believe) what their altimeters and/or ADIs were telling them, such things have happened before. But if they didn't notice they were in a stall, what did they think was happening? After all they made some pretty drastic inputs, so they were reacting to something. What could be the situation they believed to be in? To which 16 deg nose up and full thrust appeared to be a reasonable answer? I'm at a loss with this one. Hopefully the CVR will tell...