So... the degree of control they have over the plane on landing suggests they have some degree of hydraulic control. It's possible they throttled down the wron

So... the degree of control they have over the plane on landing suggests they have some degree of hydraulic control. It's possible they throttled down the wrong engine, but this is speculation at this time. Landing gear has a manual gravity release by the first officer that doesn't require the hydraulics. (But does take some time.) Ground effect was certainly involved (why they glided so far before touching down) but the bigger factor was their high speed, lack of flaps, and lack of gear.