The recent spate of news stories in the papers cites a NASA safety data source reported by pilots with similar events as the Spanair crash. I was particularly interested in the data comparison between the crew error vs the TOW error rate in this data refernced below.
From my initial view with such a high crew error rate we need a much lower TOW error rate to achieve the presumed level of safety in the initial design of the aircraft.
If this can not be done with system design then it has to be addressed with operational changes. I really don't see this as unique to a given aircraft model (see news article below). But I'm not willing to walk away from this as a one-off "it-can't happen to us"
Human error stubborn snag in airline safety - USATODAY.com
From 2000 to the present, pilots reported 55 cases in which they attempted to take off without properly extending the flaps, according to the data. In nearly all cases, the warning horn functioned normally and prevented tragedy. But pilots — many surprised that they made such a critical error — say that stress, fatigue or interruptions to their routines caused them to make big mistakes.