"Protections".
The nugget at the core of the Grand discussion. Keep in mind the Protections are to protect the a/c.
Loss of Autopilot in this fbw a/c is not an everyday or mundane thing. It should not be dangerous, and likely was not in this case.
From even the few scraps we were thrown with BEA's note, the first inputs by PF post a/p drop seem innocent enough. They morphed into ever more serious states of flight in very few seconds.
The AB flies "different" out of automatic, not fundamentally, though, and as I see it, the challenge is mounting the horse in full stride with gentle hands. Would this accident have happened if THS "TRIM" was disabled? Doesn't a certified a/c have to demonstrate recovery without trim? What in the World is so much control authority doing in STALL recovery? So much authority that the a/c cannot recover......it says so in the FCOM!!
Simplistically, why does this a/c have anything in addition to NORMAL LAW except bowing out gracefully to let the boys and girls fly it?
Such a needy, dependent, and conflicted aircraft is this one. Has a hard time "Letting Go". Or was it those who programmed her who can't give it up. Control Freaks?