plan A, then B, then C, then...
Sorry, BOAC, I worded my concern poorly.
You are spot on as far as the initial procedure and then "plan B" and so forth. That process has certainly saved many of us here. Lest anyone here think otherwise, I fully support your position.
I was trying to point out to some folks that simply executing the tried and proven procedures/techniques may not be enough to recover from some "upsets" or cope with unusual system malfunctions. In other words, there are a very few conditions that are not covered by the known procedures. The two incidents that strike home are Sully's ditch and the Sioux City DC-10 landing attempt. After their initial actions, and not getting results, both crews went on to new territory and did not sit there for 3 minutes doing the same thing.
Hope that makes my position clear.