"I basically held full left stick for about fifteen minutes" That sounds eerily familiar to 447. Drag? Right wing drop (Chronic and/or acute?)
Don't forget though, that PF could not "forget about aft stick", he had a bobbing nose to lift and drop to maintain "level" and avoid a SPIN. He heard the initial Warning, and if he was a pilot, he knew instinctively if he hears the horn, he gaddam better keep the wings level.
He "started" his "climb" WITHOUT AUTOTRIM, for once he exceeded 1.25 g, the slab inhibits (g prot). After his load (g) diminished, the Autotrim started up, at the top of his "climb", did he know? Could he have compensated if he did know?
The entry to manual reversion is not addressed at all well. Someone take a breath and discuss what may have happened if roll rate demand was beyond AutoPilot, and did the "Upset" (at handover) corrupt the Speedata?
Honest question. Was Pf "playing the g prot" his inputs were not held initially, he appears to have been "bumping" the elevators. How does he lockout Auto Trim? His full back and held inputs come later, AFTER the THS has planted on its Stops? Is mayonnaise a technique to lockout the slab by pilot device, and not in the FCOM?