Let's also remember that that second engine on a piston twin is not a get out of jail free card. (it's usually sold to the general public as such) It gives you options and most of the time extends your glide to somewhere suitable to land. You can't expect something from it that it was not designed for and then be upset when the inevitable happens. Such is the nature of the beast.
Good point... In practice. We all know, on some types the thing just wont perform on one. But every single one of their AFM's prescribe at least positive rate of climb at sea level on one, and ability to maintain 5000' on one.
I remember the PA-31 figure at MTOW is something like 50' per minute. Gear up, Configured, Feathered etc. etc. Its the perfect world scenario that rarely exists, bar at the Piper test field on the day of manufacture. The Mojave (PGW included) always felt damn sluggish, even on two.
When doing Initial Multi Training or specifically Chieftain Endorsements, I'd always encouraged guys to look at the reality, that one engine at weight in a Chieftain is deadly and a controlled, forced landing straight ahead, beats an attempt to demonstrate the theory that light twins fly on one every time.
As twin pilots we get rammed with all the theory of Assymetric Flight, and quite often forget the practicality of the aged machines we fly around Aus. I dont know where the answer lies but I hope we can all learn something out of this tragic accident.