Phoenix
Here,
"ERR, what are you doing?!" and stall warning miraculously went silent."
When the Commandant du Bord entered the cockpit, finally, only one of the three had any experience flying this airliner in Alternate Law 2b. Bonin.
In that sense, he was "senior" in "type". Robert had criticisms, but made no attempt to take control from Bonin.
I have a theory about this phase of the flight.
gums,
"- The jet has really great aero to get into a stall without obvious shaking, buffet, wing rock and so forth."
I think that is intended as a compliment.... I think it is actually an indictment.
As most experienced pilot in 2b, Bonin may have gained sufficient mastery to understand the jet was comfortable in Stall. The "sweet spot" as it were. Attempts to lower the nose caused the Stall Warn to activate and may have actually re introduced "buffet", a signal that lowering the nose was the "wrong" thing to do.
Whatever buffet there was was likely encountered when the aircraft "began a recovery", iow, there was buffet on either side of the Stall, entry, and escape.
Did Bonin purposely defeat the Stall Warn (by pulling back the stick) to demonstrate to the Captain they were not as bad off as might be surmised? Thinking they were on the "right side" of the Stall?
I think none of these three experienced aviators had ever actually flown in Roll Direct before this flight. Or experienced the "great aero" that may have led them to their demise...
As to the THS: There seems to be no discussion in the report of the logic that produces Automatic trim into and through the Stall, which also served to make recovery difficult, if not impossible.
Airbus has no duty to discuss this issue. Bringing it up is not necessary, and would only serve to put into question the design. In the record, on the CVR, Robert is quoted: "loss of Protections," or similar. That is sufficient to satisfy the duty Airbus has to inform pilots of a particular design feature. There is no liability to provide a Protection if it is known that none are available in this flight Law? Inhibiting AutoTrim would IMO qualify as a protection...