HC
Mmmh, so one SP in the sea following no use of the autopilot at all (other than basic stability of course). Another SP in the drink with what looks like a partial (or some would say inadequate) use of the autopilot, and your response is its all due to a "culture of over use of the autopilot".
So having read DB's post and many others what now seems to be occurring is that the autopilot is very good - which I have never disputed, but the training of how to use it is not.
Did the ETAP HP take the autopilot protection out because he didn't understand fully what it could do and then his manual flying skills didn't allow a safe approach.
It seems the Sumburgh HP may have used an inappropriate method of using the autopilot which had a trap in it which allowed the a/c to try and maintain height without enough power selected and a UP ensued which was not recognised and flown out of, either by selecting the correct autopilot function or by manual intervention.
We can't ignore the fact that 2 very capable SPs with modern autopilots ended up in the water!!
I am never in favour of the term "pilot error" there is always a chain of events which end up with an accident - The RAF had some very good Flight Safety films which emphasised that it was everybody's responsibility to try and spot links in the chain and break them - this extended from management to the coal face.
HF