vilas,
I meant basic piloting when things don’t go as expected. Pushing buttons to reverse the situation didn’t go so well. I can imagine the helmet fire in the PF’s head as the aircraft’s automation brought him into dire straights. Yes, the pitch down was pilot induced but likely caused by the auto thrust that the none took control over.
Having been in a similar, but fortunately lot less hairy, situation the startle effect affects the PM too. I remember how I just wanted to say “disconnect” but somehow the words failed me. There is a time and place when restoring the automatics might help, this doesn’t seem to be one of those times.