Expdrd33, if having more crew is safer how do you explain todays safety rate against the "good ole" days?
Easy - Statistics, as published by those with vested interests.
Quote.. There are Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics ( Anon ) depends who holds the purse strings.
Cynic ? who me ?
Many past accidents in The Good Old Days occured regardless of the number of crew involved, but were related to the cr*p equipment, engines, navaids, weather reporting and comms. that they had to use, and had those same 5 man crews been flying a modern 777 in todays' conditions, then their accidents might not have happened ? Maybe.
Another pair of eyes / hands 'should' help, but then Mr. Murphy is always with us, and I can recall one accident when the presence of a Senior Check Captain in the jump seat, off duty, interspersed his comments into the actions of the other 3 crew members, even tho' he acted with the best intentions, but that affected the reading of the checklist with subsequent disastrous results.
Not really relevant to the subject accident, but I attended one Sim. training session when we were asked the first action in getting a fire warning ? Won't bore you with the various answers, all deemed to be wrong. Nothing, was the desired reply. Sit on your hands and think before you touch anything. I guess that was a precursor of the Capt and Dog philosophy that is now being suggested as the way to operate single pilot heavy jets ?