I'm sure that a flaw in the plane can be handled more gracefully by the more skilled set of pilots however that's not the point really. Their point was that the flaw in the plane wasn't a big deal and the loss of life and equipment wasn't Boeing's fault, which wasn't true.
The reason we focus on the OEM more than the pilots is that Boeing getting its act together (or being regulated to do so) is more scalable than every pilot in the world becoming more skilled. Individually blaming pilots isn't effective, regardless of whether you're morally for or against it.
Given the number of studies on pilot workload and the many harsh lessons learned about how to put together a manual and a training program that has intended outcomes mrktsn is ignoring the realities of operating a vehicle where a second of delay can make a huge difference.
The most stark example was the ambiguity around 'take-off power' and 'take off power', and that is when the writers of the documentation and their management are not trying to pretend a new aircraft is the same as a complete redesign of an older one with which besides the name and the operational niche it has relatively little in common.
I always wondered why there were no whistleblowers before this led to accidents. Or were there?
Ah, whistleblowers. Always and forever committing suicide. Turns out thinking you can stab the gorgon with no consequences is a form of mental illness.
