https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-07-08/final-af447-report-suggests-pilot-slavishly-followed-flight-director-pitch-commands https://www.ainonline.com

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-07-08/final-af447-report-suggests-pilot-slavishly-followed-flight-director-pitch-commands https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-07-08/final-af4... indicates that the startle response played a major part in the accident. And in fact I don't think it could possibly have been otherwise, several minutes of failure to think rationally about the problem of dropping out of the sky even while trying to pitch up admits few other solutions.