Originally Posted by
IcePack
Love all this pulling the stick back etc. on an AB the side stick commands G.
99.9(rec)% of the time in practice, yes. In pitch command mode it commands pitch angle directly, and in HAP mode it commands AoA.
As far as the human pilot is concerned, in almost every scenario one can think of the distinction is so transparent as to be immaterial - i.e. at its simplest, the aircraft will go where you point it, and the tech will do its best to keep the shiny side up. The only reason the modes are being scrutinised so closely in this case is because questions have been asked as to why the aircraft behaved as it did at a level deeper than the original report was required to go.
Certainly as far as I can tell with the benefit of extra analysis from those who are experienced in the aero end of things, the EFCS was complying with the control demands to the best of its ability, but with the aircraft in such a low-energy state, neither technology nor manual handling finesse would have been sufficient to defy the laws of physics.