@Chris Scott:
I don't know for certain, but all the credible sources I've encountered state that flare mode was not a factor in the aircraft's behaviour. The oft-repeated claim that "the aircraft thought it was landing and wouldn't let the pilot pull up" was a complete fabrication of the press*.
Thinking about how the systems were designed to interact, I suspect that the engagement of flare mode would only happen if the descending "ramp" from the RA sensor was consistent over time, as any system responding instantly to transient changes would not be appropriate in an aircraft.
Airbus have changed code many times over the years (in fact the ability to fine tune aircraft qualities without requiring mechanical work was one of the factors in favour of civil airliner FBW), but even by 1988 they had a pretty good handle on this kind of basic behaviour - having tooled their modified A300 around for several years.
* - And also the opening salvo in terms of a lot of people misunderstanding FBW as a concept, by erroneously conflating it with autoflight. Given the usual short shrift accredited to journalists among pilots, it's surprising how long that particular rumour has lasted and how many were willing to believe it.
Last edited by DozyWannabe; 12th Dec 2013 at 17:24.