CAP56,
if you read the last few messages, you'll find out that the controls were only lost temporarily, until they were separated, most probably as by the QRH or memory items out of the same of which you don't seem to be so fond of.
Apart from that, I guess an aircraft with the safety record of the RJ/146 series must have some things going for them. So far, as I recall, the only hull losses were induced either by flying into terrain or in one case by an in flight shootout, not really the airplanes fault.
For what it was designed, I always found it a pretty good machine and performer, such as operation into short fields, over short distances e.t.c. Lots of redundancy on these 4 engines and as was shown on the controls as well.
Best regards
AN2 Driver.