eclectic eel: Yes, please read your own comment: "However the aircraft was beyond recovery". That means that 1) this maneuver had been attempted IRL, as I said 2) there is actually theoretical chance that it might have helped - if their situation were not so dire (e.g. if the elevator jack-screw did not collapse…

Yes, yes, it was the stupidest part … except for how it actually happened in real life, as clearly stated at the end of the article.