946 was certainly a bad year for Boards of Inquiries but with 2-3 aircrew deaths for every flying day (50 weeks times 5 days) it is amazing that the system seemed to cope with such losses without massive public criticism - but this is before my time - so perhaps there was.
In the late 40s and even in the 50s I don't think we should underestimate the effect of WWII being just over. Once people stopped trying to kill each other in HUGE numbers all over the world every day life suddenly seemed risk free.
In the RAF in the 50s the trainers were those who had survived the war and the students were those too young to join in the 40s. There was (perhaps understandably) an aircrew culture where everyone tied to show they were better than everybody else - especially the trainers. If a Meteor pilot reckoned he could chop an HP cock during rotation and cope there was a chance that he would inflict such a chop on his studes. It was also a sign of inferiority not to use the normal twin engined threshold speed when landing on one. All this may seem amazing by today's standards but it was accepted (even encouraged?) behaviour at the time.
As for public outcry people also minded their own business in those days.
The news was mainly limited to newspapers and radio. Plus reporters seemed happy to report news rather than to try and make it.
Happy days!.