DC3: If you read carefully my post, you will note that I drew no conclusions as to what actually did happen. All I did was propose another possibility. And as I noted, whether or not this possibility is correct will come out as the investigation continues. While I cannot opine as to the composure that these pilots might have been able to muster in the face of a situation that 3 or 4 seconds prior was going to be beyond catastrophic, I know that I (and I think most people, even pilots) would have been a little rattled.
Further, I can't recount the number of times I have asked my kids to come home for dinner, and received a response that "I am on my way," even when they had not started or were only beginning this process. It's a face-saving response to which many (myself included) are prone.
Again, I do not know what exactly did happen and I apologize if you thought that my raising of this possibility was disrespectful. In any event, you may wish to reread your post and decide whether it needs to be scrubbed of some judgements.