The more and more I read the more concrete it seems that the "zoom" was initiated by PF input to the SS not as a result of AP disconnect (which was a point of confusion to me). This is a significant deviation from the previous theory that the AP "wound out" until it reached the end of it's capabilities and handed the plane off in an entirely unstable condition.
Am I correct in my understanding that the climb was in fact initiated by proactive input and that the subsequent trim changes are a result of the auto trim responding to the SS inputs?
Given the very serious issues involved in approaching max altitude even with full instrumentation (let alone under the circumstances involved) any decision to gain altitude would appear to be fundamentally incorrect and display a complete lack of basic airmanship. What pilot would knowingly fly an airplane with degraded systems closer to coffin corner? Did not the senior pilot on the flight deck have a clear responsibility to forcibly (in the verbal sense) take command if required?
I have been unable to find reference to the captain questioning the PF's credentials (was this before the upset? before the flight?). If the captain had enough concerns to actually make a comment then how does he allow this individual to actually be the PF when he retires from the cockpit????