Originally Posted by
sheppey
Isn't that the whole problem nowadays? It is not easy to some pilots.
For many, the very thought of having to resort to hand flying without the crutch of full automatic features, is anathema. When forced by circumstances to disengage the automatics then it is not long before they are in trouble in more ways than one. Their own lack of competency and the company on their backs like a ton of bricks..
Save error or omission on my part I am unaware of any evidence that this crew either did, or did not, disengage the automatics. Unless you know otherwise the incident does not appear to be either a failure to 'hand-fly' or an over-dependence on systems but rather [predominant speculation] a gross and prolonged error of approach execution whether using the available aircraft systems or not.