I don't blame AB for the lack of piloting skill which 447s' crew exhibited.
It could have easily happened in another type.
The fault was the pilots', plain and simple. They let the a/c get away from them while effectively flying 'partial panel'.
If they had been better trained, or even spent more hours actually flying (by hand) their aircraft then this accident could easily have been avoided.
Probably ( although the wx may have been a factor) all they had to do was leave things as they were and hang on until their airspeed problem went away- as it was bound to.
Straight and level was beyond them. So used were they to the automatics that the concept of actually flying the aircraft was too much.
Autos- and the way they degrade those hard earned flying skills- are the new killer.