[calecon323]

Except they didn't "follow procedure." MCAS trimmed down repeatedly on one instance for 9(!) seconds and yet the pilots waited 3 seconds longer to counteract that with an electric trim up command on the yoke. The procedure is not 1. Let MCAS do its thing 2. Pull back on the stick 3. Hit the stab trim cut off when you have had enough. Attempting to counteract the the trim down command with manual trimming commands should occur continuously "as needed." If you don't attempt to override the trim runaway with manual trim up commands on your control yoke you aren't following the checklist. On the 737 you can see the trim wheels move and if unintended follow the checklist.

The pilots didn't do that at all. Sustained manual trim only occurred after MCAS kicked in again at 5:40:27 and the pilots still waited before invoking the trim up command. The pilots never invoked sufficient trim up to counteract the automatic trim down command. Again, there is a reason the trim controls are on the control yoke in the first place. Of the three major MCAS trim down commands the pilots only stopped the second one with manual commands after it had already pushed the nose dangerously low. If the pilots had simply invoked manual trim promptly and counteracted the erroneous trim manual trim would have been successful after invoking a STAB CUT out.

If you think the pilots are following procedure why at 05:41:46 did: "the Captain ask[ed] the First-Officer if the trim is functional." ? That doesn't make sense, of course the trim doesn't work, the STAB TRIM cut out switches were engaged! But the response by the first officer was that "The First-Officer [has] replied that the trim was not working and asked if he could try it manually." which again doesn't make sense. But it gets worse because this happened a FULL MINUTE after the stab cut out switch was engaged, which means that neither pilot tried to manually trim the aircraft during that time at all!

But it gets better: "At 05:40:27, the Captain advised the First-Officer to trim up with him. " Which again doesn't make sense because it wouldn't make any difference if the both pilots were trimming up or not, the stabilizer doesn't move any faster.

My conclusion is that the pilots didn't know the checklist but its hard to tell because the CDR isn't presented completely.