G.P. 76
I fear there is much truth in your assessment. This is brought about by the CAA's wearing 2 hats. Safety and compliance costs money, as does training to above the minimum requirements. 95% or airlines handle this. It is the ones that can't, or won't, raise their standards above the legal minimum. They plead poverty and the same CAA has to adjudicate for the commercial viability. Conflict of interest.
As we've seen, the rise in CFIT is not being stemmed. A tired crew can prang a perfectly serviceable a/c. OUCH! BUT an alert well trained crew with initiative can bring home a semi-crippled a/c. Horray!
When there is a train or coach crash, and the number of victims equals a J31 pax load, all hell breaks lose. Money is no object and heaven and earth are moved to try and avoid it happening again. Quite right. Compare what happens after a CFIT and pilot error is the named cause. Investigation stops and the root causes are kept at a very superficial level, or so it seems publically.
A recommendation maybe issued regarding extra training and improving the awareness of crews pertinent to the scenario. This, in theory, might help, but seems rarely to be mandatory. Thus the number of pilots who will learn from the prang could be minimal.
But risk management has been at work!
I still reckon the most dangerous place at an airport is the first roundabout outside the staff carpark between 0800 & 0900. This is when the night shift crews, on day 6, or the long-haul (14hours duty also on day 6) crews are just on their way home. If they get past the roundabout, whew!, and onto the motorway, for their 1 hour drive home, there is a potential for disaster, IMHO, greater than a couple of pints too many. Including the cabin staff of companies that do not supply crew rest, that is a lot of leathal projectiles concentrated around the major airports, even more so in the cruddy weather. It's all part of the big picture.
Sounds scare mongering? I know of a few prangs, and very near ones, from sleepy crews. In one intelligent airline there were different rules for consecutive night duties if you were at home or in a crew hotel. More restricive if at home.
Like most things in this game; the good ideas are common sense.