The first thing I thought when hearing of the Colgan accident was tail stall in icing,especially since early reports had it the stall occurred just at flap extension. In fact, I immediately sent my company a Youtube video on tail stall and recommended it be sent to our pilots as a refresher. I fly a Caravan, a notoriously bad ice carrier.
We have specific icing DVD courses each year, but they hardly stress tail stall, which requires a pull back, not a push, and often happens at flap extension. Same tendency in the Jetstream 32.
The Colgan captain, although with low time in type, was certainly not inexperienced, as some here have alleged. The Q400 is fairly new to the company, with more deliveries planned. I understand Colgan hired some direct entry captains (a rare thing in the US) specifically to ensure they had experienced skippers in the Q400, the largest type they operate, as it enters the fleet.
There was little time and height to react, and if the crew had just entered icing conditions, they may indeed have perceived they encountered a tail stall.
Second guessing is easy. Reacting correctly instantaneously in a situation which might not be what it first seems is not.
