JF:
I think to say this accident was pilot error is quite astonishing
I am not sure the report does say this is "Pilot Error"? I might be misunderstanding your point (?) of course
Ditto the oft quoted
Air Force Blames Pilot
... yet the report does not
blame the pilot. It finds factors, but nowhere do I see "negligence", "poor judgement", even "error". It does state the pilot "failure to recognize and initiate..." - but that is not the same as blame. He clearly did "fail to...", but nowhere does it say he ought to have "recognized" etc. in the circumstances i.e. the root cause of his failure might be other factors e.g. training / equipment.
NoD