Why ?
Can any one figure out why this aircraft ended up in this position and situation that accelerated the spiraling chain of events. Looking back at the satellite weather conditions in the area, I don't think any pilot in his right mind would plow along on the track the aircraft followed into disaster.
Why was the captain at rest, if he and the crew had done a thorough flight briefing and known that their track would take them through bad weather at a specific time window on this flight ?
How can two radars miss the weather if they were used properly unless the selector switch was turned to off at some stage !
I have been flying for 41 years and currently fly this amazing aircraft but I have always maintained a very cautious attitude to both my own and this aircraft's limitations, this attitude has served me well but I have noticed a complete state of complacency show its ugly head as far as young pilots sitting in the right seat or acting as cruise pilots. It is not uncommon for me to return from rest to find laptops out on the pull tray obscuring flight instruments or sorry animated discussions about work and pay conditions while the aircraft does her own thing an receiving looks of disbelief when voice my concern that monitoring aircraft flight performance and weather conditions mean just that and not getting sucked into complacency and side distractions. I am looked on by some crews as a relic and behind the times !
I have also noticed a general lack of respect for the power of weather and convective activity.
I hope positive lessons would be learned from this disaster and SOPS will start covering pilot cruise monitoring duties more extensively.
We have a duty to ourselves, our customers and this profession, to be vigilant at all times regardless of the level of automation available to us. Situational awareness and good judgment have never been more needed.
This chain of events for this accident seem to have started at flight briefing.