So, he was a
very experienced A320 Captain/trainer/TRE...
Was ground school instructor and a SIM instructor for the A320/321
He was a captain on the A320 from 2005-2013.
Immediately prior to his initial operating experience on the 777, he was a captain on the A320.
On the 320 flying a visual, you would have:
- Motionless thrust levers
- A/T working in speed mode if your FD was off (his was)
- Low energy automated audible warning ("speed speed")
- Full speed/stall protection regardless of A/T armed/on/off all the way down to 100RA.
In times of high workload, the speed control and protection is very reliably looked after for you in the 320, so the speed scan becomes low priority. It would be very easy to assume the 777 was at least as "good" as the little 320, and this may in part explain why the PF was not as focussed on the speed as he should have been. Everything to the PF was in a normal and good position (for a 320).
Doesn't explain why the PNF (PM) did not spot the excursion and call it or better still intervene with a G/A.