Vendee
Were the other crew members qualified to comment? Would a police observer question the actions of a very experienced pilot?
It's not often that one has the opportunity to agree with both Sid and TR but my take on your question is:
Were the other crew members qualified to comment?
No, because there is no requirement for them to be trained or examined in aircraft systems. However, I haven't yet met a training officer who would allow a TFO to continue flying if they didn't understand enough to at least make an educated comment and assist with emergencies.
Would a police observer question the actions of a very experienced pilot?
Yes, simple as that. It is not a world which is full of shrinking violets or those who would rather crash than ask a difficult question.
TR, your incessant harping on about "fudging" and "blurring" is dull, boring and unnecessary. We all know that TFOs are officially pax and most of us know the reasons why. We all know that the aircraft commander is the aircraft commander, that's how he or she got the title. Most of us know that none of this means that they are mute passengers who would never question or comment on the appearance of warnings, cautions or other unusual indications.
I don't know the three on board that night and I don't know what happened beyond what the AAIB have reported but I do know that I have never met an observer who would not have raised questions if all of the usual indications for the situation they found themselves in were indeed present. I also know that I've never met a pilot who was so arrogant and unprofessional that he or she didn't welcome reasoned and reasonable questions, assistance and input. I don't think we've met.