Concours77,
Can you confirm that TOGA is an appropriate selection?
It
is not the correct selection at high altitudes, it is the correct selection if a stall warning is received right after TO. As I mentioned previously, I believe the pilots recalled the memory list, but not all of it, especially the part they needed to recall:
Actually, the safe conduct of the flight wasn't impacted and all the pilots needed to do was level the wings, set the thrust to 80% of N1, and set the pitch to 2.5 - 3.0 degrees. Then begin to troubleshoot using the messages received and written documentation.
Here is a listing of other flights that experienced what AF447 experienced, twelve received stall warnings:
All survived. For AF447, they are cruising along normally, engines are providing appropriate thrust, pitch is within limits, slight turbulence and then the AP and AT disconnects and the message word is speed. What could cause it to be a problem?
I think you are concentrating on items that happened as a result of not following instructions. Why didn't the pilots follow instructions they were trained to react to and follow? Why didn't the pilots remember the pitch/thrust item for the altitude they were initially at? I recall Air France had put out a written document as a result of ice clogged pitots, making the problem known to pilots and what to do if encountered. I am not sure the AF447 crew received the document or not before the incident.