If it were hydraulic failure, again it could be a handful at low level and no airspeed. Due to the fuselage rotations before the crash, I'm guessing it wasn't rubber band failure.
A handful...NOT. Assuming it was a rubber band failure, the accumulators would be fully charged and therefore one should get a minimum of three FULL movements on the cyclic before the controls even get stiff. Even then, the Astar can be hovered hydraulics off----admittedly it is tough.....but can be done.
What would cause a rotation...? Not following your logic here.....