sevenstrokeroll;
I don't want to seem calous over the loss of life, but well maintained airplanes with well trained pilots rarely crash!
Not callous at all - it's a fact in any transportation industry but especially in aviation.
Apropos this, I see that Russia has "grounded some" B737's immediately, pending "training issues". I wondered right away if there was a loss of situational awareness in this (the Russian) accident as the facts began to point to such instead of a mechanical failure; in some circumstances, a go-around, (not sure they were actually doing one here), can be as high a risk manoeuvre as a landing from a non-stabilized approach - it was 3am or so, no visible horizon, some but not much in the way of ground lighting (buildings etc), low circadian rhythm time and a low-time-on-the-airplane crew. It has to make one wonder - I certainly concur with your statement.
How many crews have experienced reduced training footprints?...reduced simulator hours for recurrent training, (from the typical 4hrs to 3 or 3.5). How many are taught how to do a visual approach with all the automatics off? Who can disconnect the Airbus thrust levers and reconnect them again without the passengers ever knowing you've done so?! How many have permitted their skills to atrophy having swallowed management's harping to engage the autopilot from right after takeoff to touchdown, (Airbus AOM statement)? How many actually do hands-and-feet flying? On raw data?
The rhetorical questions could go on and on...