I have read Will Langewiesche's Vanity Fair Article "THE HUMAN FACTOR" this morning. And skimmed over the most recent 6 pages of PP comment.
A few points have occurred to me. First, I am horrified that the Captain brought his lady friend to Brazil, and in consequence, SLEPT FOR ONLY ONE HOUR the night before the accident flight. Says it all, really. Abdicated his responsibilities. Left the care of his passengers to the automation and the two nervous co-pilots.
When the pitot tubes that had not yet been replaced froze up under a bit of frost, and the automation not enjoying ASI data stepped down from doing the flying, the two young ones remaining at the controls also froze in every sense.
After two years of searching the CVR and data recorder were recovered. The unfortunate arrangement of side stick controls, that made it likely the PNF could not know what the PF was up to, let alone those buttons that are supposed to override control, did not help.
The efforts of the PF to overcome the PIO was according to the VF article solved by the captain's tardy arrival on the flight deck, when he told the PF to use the rudder to sort out the roll. Too late, alas. And of course using the rudder too strenuously can cause other problems, as happened to the Boeing departing Kennedy shortly after 9/11.
In my experience as a gliding instructor, I have found that men usually think they are better than they are! the women have less overconfidence. If the standard and experience of the average airline pilot continues to decay, with very little real flying, real takeoffs and landings, the job becomes more and more boring, monitoring the computers. Which could just as well be done from the ground, like drones. We are happy to ride on the little train that takes us to the outer terminals at Orlando with no train driver.
How long will it be before we are happy to ride on the LHR Dulles UA with no pilots to fall asleep at the controls?