Originally Posted by
CONF iture
A/THR was disconnected, nothing more.
Where is that BEA quote that states otherwise ?
I don't know, but it's common knowledge that the disconnect button was held down, thus not only disconnecting, but also disabling A/THR.
The system prevented the aircraft to reach and maintain alpha max so correct now once for all those misconceptions of stall and more deaths.
Alpha max is unlikely to have helped. Sure alpha prot holds the pitch just shy of alpha max, but not by a significant degree. With neither sufficient thrust nor airspeed to climb the result would have been the same.