It was the co pilot.

That's a real good explanation of what might have happened.

Instant after crash.

If its any consolation, everyone died quickly ... probably before the pilots could even say "what the hell was that"

When bad things happen my mind goes into hyper overdrive, everything slows way down before the bad part starts happen
The OH Sheet moments last a long time to me

I think that's where the point of "you life flashing before your eyes" comes from. I think we've all had those moments.

I grew up in a town with lots of railroad employees and have heard stories about what it is like to sit and helplessly watch for 10 to 30 seconds knowing your locomotive is going to crash into a car or truck ahead at a “grade crossing” ( road/track junction)

I remember one elderly railroad engineer at a Barber Shop talk about first as a young sailor seeing Kamikaze planes bearing down on his ship, then being in a locomotive that hit a lowboy tractor trailer hauling a bulldozer high centered at a grade crossing. After living through these “ waiting for the blow” moments he said that the “near misses” where vehicles barely just avoided the loco nearly caused his heart and blood pressure go beyond bearable.