Somewhere in there is the "Tiptoe" dance BEA does around obscuration of the sticks one from the other, no? Stress 'tiptoe'.
jcjeant: Imagine what the "AP OFF" call portends? Here is Captain, seconds away from impact with the Ocean, entertaining that the problem could be originating with the autopilot? Can one be that removed from an awareness of his aircraft?
"So, wait...." Clutching at straws? It does demonstrate the Captain's awareness of the then current drill for UAS..... DO NOT re-select Autopilot.
Also, switch off flight directors, AutoThrust, etc. For me, it is emblematic of the tragic disconnect demonstrated by 'qualified' pilots of this a/c. The report has couched all the evidence toward incompetence, with minor bones thrown to involve the airframer and airline. This accident is unbelievable, as presented by the report. Suspension of disbelief is required to read it without bias. One is tempted to assign some skulduggery to its plot. The pilots obviously eliminated Stall as a possibility, for to believe otherwise is to entertain a laughable consideration of the facts as presented. If so, they must have been baffled by the lack of "response" to commands to "climb". Out of ideas from the git, not to mention the experience of actually Stalling an a/c at altitude.