A310Driver: I certainly agree that many commuter pilots, myself included (3500 hours and counting, 2700 of it turbine, 2000 turbine PIC) have low hour totals compared to 15,000+ hour pilots found at many major airlines. Perhaps that accounts for your "experience" comment as you said. The question in my mind is what should be "experienced" in the public's mind outside of our professional world and discussion? At what point do you consider a pilot experienced and if that pilot has less hours are they therefore dangerous? Would the general public have understood if somehow the fed characterized the crew as "very qualified but inexperienced?" They would have felt that low time pilots = danger and frankly that just isn't true. Those two crewmembers were trained in the same fashion as all Part 121 pilots and met the standards. From all evidence they weren't "just off IOE" either with the FO and CA having a reasonable base of flying in the 1900D.
IMHO the one thing the fed did right is not prey upon an early idea that perhaps commuter crews with low time = the cause of the accident. To say the crew was inexperienced as pilots would be tantamount to saying "unsafe" when in my opinion my fellow pilots, and myself for that matter are very, very safe. I put my family on my aircraft and that of my "inexperienced (cough, cough)" peers often and I know that each is ready and prepared as a 121 pilot should be for the difficulties that might lie ahead. When I had an engine failure this summer fully loaded at 34C (jumpseater too) at 80 feet AGL 1-2 seconds after breaking ground somehow I made it through and you know what... I think I would have the day I passed training years ago because if I didn't or my company didn't think so, or the feds didn't think so, or the public didn't think so should I have ever been put on the line?
From all evidence so far I very much doubt this crew will suffer blame for the accident nor do I believe that any amount of hours under the belt may have saved them. I for one am glad that an employee of my government didn't get on TV and even imply that they were anything but qualified and competent before obtaining the facts.
I can understand that many times what we say gets misconstrued and I am sure you didn't mean to come across as insensitive to the issue. I still humbly suggest that you review your idea of it being laughable to have an agent of the federal government call that crew anything BUT experienced AND AS QUALIFIED AS ANY AIRLINE PILOT considering its the truth and who his audience was... the uninformed public.