[magic452]

I remember reading a NTSB report in Aviation Week of a very similar incident.
It was an intercontinental flight B707? about 40 years ago.

The pitot tubes froze and gave the pilot higher air speed readings than he really had, he reduced power and increased angle of attack to bring down the air speed. Of course the plane stalled but he had enough altitude to recover and save the plane. He lost about 25,000 of the 30,000+ feet he had.
At the lower altitude the tubes unfroze giving a good air speed.
NTSB criticized the pilot for not using other interments to check the believability of his air speed as I remember.

Not so many computer aids back in those days may have worked in his favor?

Magic