Good Call CaptainX. If we could all just stop being Monday Morning QBacks without even knowing the score for a little while...
The bottom line, as many have said, is that here is a major accident that didn't happen. Everyone is around to tell their story and the airplane is intact. The facts will get known quite quickly. Then, if we (pilots / flight professionals) are really smart, we will learn every lesson that we can from them.
Sure it should never have happened at all - but as we all know that can just be the turn of a friendly card sometimes. This is one to watch and learn from. All critique on the crew is null and void until we have the facts.
The only facts I know for sure are that the A330 was mighty sick, that it was brought to a safe (if not totally damage free) landing and no-one was even badly injured.
The only conclusion I can up with right now is that the crew did a damn fine job.
MG