But both of them hold licences as professional pilots - I am only SP VFR on the 139 but I can use the FD modes day/night and avoid flying into the water - what went wrong here?
Even the most basic use of ALTA would take you away from the water while you dealt with a malfunction (excepting major technical failures like TR), you are not telling me that pilots with a licence can't do that that, even if it is dark?