Both you and SEVEN are totally missing the point. Why were these pilots in this cockpit in the first place?
You know why I would never put my loved ones on a regional airline? Because of the lack of pay and poor quality of life that these pilots are faced with.
I know what its like to be overworked and underpaid. You make basic, silly mistakes. If you say that you would never make a basic mistake while fatigued you have never been fatigued.
I can't understand how other pilots who are working in terrible conditions can hang other pilots out to dry who were forced to work in terrible conditions.
No one has even mentioned that the SIC was suffering from some kind of inner ear condition. Way to stand up for each other guys.
Again I am ashamed to be a pilot. No safety improvements will come from these 50 deaths that you both seem so concerned about until the FAA addresses low pilot pay and fatigue.
The industry is what it is.....and everyone one of us knows what we are getting into. There needs to be significant improvements across the board. We all know this.
However, low pay, poor work rules, weak managment did not make or force these pilots violate sterile cockpit, lose complete situational awareness, and stall the plane.
We can come up with all the excuses in the world for the crew but in the end, it wasn't the poor state of the industry that killed 50 people - it was two operators letting the airplane stall and die.
Bushwickbill, take care and fly safe.