I think the cargo probably shifted just as they rotated.
This would explain why no one had a spare hand to get the gear up.
If my guess (which is all it is) is right then about the only thing that they could have tried was to pull all the power off and slap it back on the deck.
No doubt they'd have done some sort (or maybe a lot) of damage either landing or in the ensuing overrun, but they might have lived.
I'm not surprised they didn't do that though. It's a huge mental leap to accomplish.
