Oh what the heck..please allow me a "one more time" ....
Pace
Re: your flight deck observer idea:
surely it would require a level of training and background with the company of possibly 3 years to be a safe option
Agreed..in fact why not give them 2/3/4 bars and call them a pilot......
Ian
if a similar crash happens again you can rely on an extremely strong, potentially irresistible, push to automate pilots out of the cockpit.
Indeed, that may well happen eventually but in the mean time can I ask if that "crash" happens tomorrow are you planning to ground commercial aviation for the decade(s) that your automated/partially automated airliner will take to become a reality.