Accidents happen.
Their cause is often stupid and it's easy to say "How could they be so stupid?", from behind a desk.
We have always struggled to
prevent the slightest incident, and arming the A/T just before takeoff has been a good precaution for decades.
Now Boeing, in it's desperate and sometimes pathetic struggle to avoid losing the war with Airbus, says the autothrottle must always be armed, for fleet commonality!
BS!!!!!!!!!!
Who's going to believe in fleet commonality between a jurassic 737 and a 767?
Btw, I'll continue to arm the A/T only when cleared for takeoff, as The Greaser says.
Boeing's Mr. X who had this bright idea one morning, run back in your room!
LEM