I'm only an "interested layperson" in the subject so I don't know details. But I know that for instance there are plenty of alarms warning the pilots about the

I'm only an "interested layperson" in the subject so I don't know details. But I know that for instance there are plenty of alarms warning the pilots about the proximity to terrain. Besides, there were excellent visibility conditions at the time of the accident so, even if the autopilot were able to drive the plane into ground, the pilots would have realized that not only by seeing the other instruments but looking through the window as well. The available radar data also shows there's been a struggle to keep the airplane flying. An autopilot-controlled flight into terrain wouldn't show such pattern.