This accident investigation is exposing the “open sore” that is the current US air transportation system.
You have two weak/inexperienced pilots, commuting in and getting no sleep in a bed for, what? 38 hours? After sitting around the airport all day, they fly into night, IMC, with icing.
As a crew, they make operational mistakes that lead to a “stick-pusher” and they both reacted individually in ways that make the situation worse. Captain pulled the nose up and the First Officer retracted the flaps.
The First Officer’s actions guaranteed a stall and the Captain’s actions pretty much guaranteed a stall. Done simultaneously, it was like committing certain suicide.
When you try to go back and build the chain of events that lead to the crash, you have:
--training programs that guarantee an eventual passing grade
--Windshear escape maneuvers done 3 times per sim check and stall recoveries done zero times
--the cost of a bed in EWR relative to crew salary coupled with a company policy urging them to come in a day prior
Do any other root causes come to prominence among the experienced airline pilots on this forum?
There are red herrings being tossed in by the Board and the media (sterile cockpit, design, flirting, etc). But the reality of this IMHO is the exhaustion of the crews, the weak skill level, and the doubling-down effect of what used to be a rare exception that has now become the norm.
It seems the Board has three audiences it is placating:
Legal liability – who is going to pay the family’s lawsuits?
Public opinion – what is the cause? Now fixes are in place.
Industry – attempting to force change in operating procedures and practices.
R