"When you start to look at unusual accidents like the French 330, it is just as likely that the automation led to the accident, as any inadequacy in the crew's response. "
In ME training, it used to be drummed into the student that the good engine can take you to the scene of the crash if a/c not flown correctly. Now Automation can take you to the seen of the stall - not just AF447, but Colgan, Thomsonfly B737, Turkish B737 AMS.
Only in latter case was the earth too close for a stall recovery.
Over the past 10 years Pilot loss of control is the No1 killer in Commercial aviation. It is not just the sheer number of flights having increased. This is a percentage of total flights.
Manual handling and automation airmanship skills have faded industry wide. The training system is partly to blame. Industry is repsonding:
SKYbrary - Loss of Control
http://www.safeopsys.com/docs/RAES_URT_MASTER.pdf