Raas I do not believe the pilots are being condemned on this one. According to the tv program it was the airlines procedures that were being criticised. They should have known better. But, as usual, the threat of litigation means that the lawyer heavyweights come out to protect the airline. The senior pilot in the documentary also made a strange statement where he stated he did not realise that full rudder deflections would cause excessive stress on the airframe. This statement must have been prompted by the concern by the company of litigation.
Unfortunately the litigious society of the US does not encourage the revealing of the truth. It is also going that way in the UK too now, which is a great pity to say the least.