Startled ?
I cannot know whether this was the case :
IF PF had seldom ( if ever) manually flown an A330 - except premeditatedly for a very few minutes after T/O and again, just prior to Landing, both of these at low level, it would be natural for him to be startled.
The Drill for UAS (then) empathised Terrain clearance.
On earlier, less sophisticated aircraft, I soon learned to hand fly through Cbs, IFR and at night, before radar was available. St. Elmo's Fire and lightening strikes occurred. And my knees got wet because the windscreen leaked until a blanket was made available ! I logged my first 250 hours of hand flying, sometimes doing a couple of 3 hours sessions in a day, alternating with the Captain. ( My quality did deteriorate - but there were no flight time limitations, then.)
Last edited by Jetdriver; 20th September 2012 at 20:50.