Personally, I think HeliCompator is onto something here, whether we're willing to admit it or not.
I'm certain that every pilot on this board privately considers himself to be the best pilot to ever be certified to fly helicopters. SASless certainly does. And I'm equally sure that every pilot on this board arrogantly thinks that he/she would *never* be subject to the subtle psychological issues and pressures that HC brought up in his post. Moreover, every pilot here probably assumes that every other pilot should and would always react the same way he/she would: appropriately and in a timely manner.
The trouble is, we're *not* all Chuck Yeager or Chuck Aaron. We're *not* all the best of the best...other than in our minds. I know that for SASless (and surely others as well) it's simply preposterous to consider that the PF of the Puma wouldn't have immediately recognized their peril and yanked in an armload of power and saved the day. Because that's what we all would have done, right?
But he did not. And so we are left to wonder why not? Was he that clueless, that weak of a pilot? I'd guess not - weak or poor pilots generally don't rise to the level of AS-332 captain. No, there had to be some other reason he was so slow on the power increase.
Me, I think HC's premise is plausible.