Originally Posted by ShotOne
If by "backed up in the report", Dan, you're implying it clears the Captain on this point, that's simply not the case. Findings, Part 2 detail the extensive simulator tests in which they were unable to free the camera without physical manipulation which could only have been applied by the Captain. Also the DFDR trace shows a series of small lateral sidestick inputs the moment before it came free accompanied by the words "ok ok ok, ok" from the Captain.
I think all that makes a heavy inference that the captain did remove the camera, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he would remember doing so when interviewed later. Just imagine what was going on in his head: he'd been at near-zero mental stimulation for a while, and suddenly his enormous new Airbus is bunting over, the co-pilot is climbing in on the ceiling and his sidestick appears stuck fast. I know we pay and train pilots to stay calm, but such a set of circumstances is so far out of the expected that I would not be surprised if he was in full-blown raging panic. I probably would have been too!
Once intense panic has subsided, it's quite possible for memory of the occurrence to be sketchy or even non-existent (I'm sure some of us have been there in other walks of life) and the brain does a very good job at filling in the gaps with stuff that it thinks would make sense, which may bear little relation to what actually happened. The psychologist on the inquiry panel would inevitably have advised the President of this phenomenon, which might introduce enough doubt to prevent any firm finding of dishonesty.