This thread contains a lot of interesting and intelligent proposals to improve pilot training, aircraft system design and certification procedures. But even with all these things still further improved (which is ok of course), modern jets like all other complex systems will go on to produce odd quirks, bugs and failures. Troubleshooting by pilots and maintenance does not get easier with added complexity and some basic failures like a malfunctioning sensor get camouflaged by quadruple redundant systems, voting algorithms, Kalman filters, Fuzzy Logic, Artificial Intelligence and you name it. We all know this.
But what I cannot understand is why an airline organisation does not prevent loading poor SLF and non-pilot crew into an aircraft that had serious problems documented on the three previous flights. This without a thorough assessment of the problem(s) on ground, corrective action and then some test flights by crews prepared for dealing with such problems. That is the real killer in this instance, and not missing pilot knowhow or design/certification flaws. Airworthiness is not only about stamps and signatures on some forms. As a lowly aircraft owner and pilot I will not take along passengers for a ride if my aircraft is plagued by unresolved troubles or untested repairs of such. And I hope the airline I buy my next ticket as a passenger will not do so either. Then I will embark with confidence, be it a Boeing, Airbus, Embraer et altera.