As others pointed out, are pilots at many airlines told to not use the autopilot during a go-around, and what Boeing calls VNAV, FLCH or VS, along with Heading Select for steering? I used the autopilot in Las Vegas after the Approach Controller suddenly "inserted" a B-737 ahead of us, while telling us to go-around (between the invisible mountains at night-I told the Captain that we would remain over the valley lights in case the controller gave us a questionable vector to downwind or base). Were the Gulf Air pilots already on an ILS or LOC etc hand-flown approach when the go-around began, and if so, either the plane flies the published go-around procedures or the pilots could have pushed an autopilot button and used simple vertical and lateral control modes, while following the flight directors??
I know almost nothing about the sad tragedy, but are Gulf Air pilots (and also pilots at YOUR airline) encouraged to engage whichever autopilot modes allow the easiest control of the airplane when the workload is very high? Did those Gulf Air pilots by chance have very little instrument curency or total experience? I'm not blaming the unfortunate crew a bit, but wonder just what we all can learn.
My impression of the Airbus A-320/319/321...(which I've never trained on-yet) design philosophy was that both the aircraft's unique fly-by-wire technology and the most "advanced" level of automation, could compensate for limited pilot experience, if necessary. If advanced technology=safer aircraft, and can be proven to be so throughout global airline operations, then I will avoid using quotation marks in a skeptical manner in the future. Of course several tragedies have taken place due to pilot complacency or misunderstanding this technology, if I understand the articles about the accidents in France and India.
I have not forgotten the accidents involving the B-757, MD-11 etc. What is the common denominator among accidents involving newer aircraft types, limited simulator+line training or cockpit culture and CRM?