[QUOTE]No, a serviceable RA may have just delayed this crew's accident to another day, another situation [QUOTE]
Bit harsh. Humans are fallible not perfect. We have take off warning systems for example because crews do overlook the small issue of setting the flaps or ensuring all the doors are closed or whatever. Its not ideal but its human behaviour. It doesn't reflect on professionalism at all, it can happen to anyone and often does, you just get away with it because the holes in the cheese on that particular day didn't line up.
All we can do is try our best to ensure the holes in the cheese don't line up. In utopia we don't mistakes, here on earth we do. Knowing that to be an undisputable fact, why would you accept anything less than an aircraft that is serviceable or has all known defects under control by proper use of the MEL.
The accident report says two previous crews noticed the RA fault and decided not to log it. A third crew were unaware of the defect, lost situational awareness for whatever reason and paid for it with their lives.
I cannot tell where the crew were on the scale of professionalism because I wasn't there but just as in the Spanair tragedy, not dealing with a defect has costs lives. The holes in the cheese lined up.
Go on about airmanship as much as you want, even the best crews will one day have an off day. I hope when that day arrives all your onboard systems are working as advertised or have been deferred correctly.