Thinking about it, it is actually as form of 'art' they were unable to keep the airplane stable but at the same time, were JUST able to avoid a GPWS alert...
Which suggests that if they'd not disconnected, or at the very worst followed the FD they might have made land-fall, even the RWY. Mind you, not visual, you should not play those silly games unless the tanks were empty or other highly mitigating circumstances.