Agreed we'll never know for sure.
But I think there's a lesson here for pilots and instructors regardless. ALWAYS FLY THE AEROPLANE! If you haven't got the stick and rudder stuff right, nothing else matters. Only when the aeroplane is stable and under control should anything else be even considered. Checklists have their place, but YOU MUST FLY THE AEROPLANE as the number one consideration, regardless of any checklist or procedure. And last of all comes the radio.
The old addage 'aviate, navigate, communicate in that order' was never more true.