[nate_meurer]

It wasn't quite perfectly functioning. The pitot tubes had frozen, depriving the crew of reliable airspeed information.

[nopzor]

you’re correct that the pitot tubes had malfunctioned, and this was a significant factor.

but the gp point has validity.

if the controls were physically linked, like they are in boeing aircraft, the pilots who were putting in opposing inputs would have realized what was going on pretty quickly.

[GekkePrutser]

That's true, I just meant that there was nothing technical stopping it from remaining airborne. But I should have said that.