Originally Posted by
737 Driver
Which is precisely why, when presented with an undesired aircraft state, unknown or ambiguous malfunction, or a loss of situational awareness, the flying pilot must be ready and able to Turn off the magic, Set the Pitch, Set the Power, Trim the aircraft, Monitor the performance, and Move the aircraft to a safe altitude. You do not have to know what is going on. You do need to know how to stabilize the aircraft and place it in a safe position so you then have the time to figure out what is going on.
+1 Very well put
But this needs training and reinforcement in the SIM. It is not enough - in these days of CBTs and multiple choice exams - to assume that all pilots are capable of this without training. Sad but true. So much time is taken up with other things in SIM details that the basics are being assumed to be present rather than being actually tested and practised.