We have major carriers on three continents most probably writing off aircraft. Did erosion of manual flying skills play a role? It is clearly too early to be sure. But it must be an issue that is being investigated.
"Did erosion of manual flying skills play a role?" Almost certainly - but rarely admitted because of political correctness in reports
From the time a new airline pilot flies his first type rating simulator it is universally accepted that 90 percent of his "training" will be how to operate the automatic pilot. His whole concentration is on the flight director especially when he is pounded by his trainers with "Fly the flight director". "Engage the autopilot asap to reduce your work load" is another oft-heard phrase. Much of the monitoring of the PF demanded of the PM will consist of verbalising the information that comes up on the various mode annunciators. Trainers love it because in their eyes more talking equates to better CRM. I have news for them. More talking often leads to a human factors irritant.
Nowadays, and recommended by the manufacturer, a glance at a mode annunciator is considered insufficient evidence that the pilot knows what he is seeing. He is required to prove he saw an annunciation and that can only be done by talking. Cynical though it may sound, the next thing we will see an SOP where the pilot must not only glance at an annunciator, tell the other pilot what he witnessed and finally point to the annunciator. All the while as SOP's of this sort are hammered home during type rating and recurrent training, the pilot hasn't a clue how undertake a basic crosswind landing since he last flew a Cessna single.
When you observe as I have on numerous occasions in simulators, a type rated but inexperienced pilot that has never operated his aircraft without using his flight director, without ever having practiced an all flaps up landing, had never done a non flight director non-precision approach, had never landed a jet transport without PAPI or ILS guidance, had never done a low altitude bad weather circuit, had never practiced a high altitude stall recovery in IMC and finally had never undertaken simulator training on unusual attitude recoveries in IMC - then is it no wonder these people who have paid big money up front to learn to fly a jet simulator, simply cannot fly to save their lives - literally, in some cases.
Think of the time saved in simulator practice if long winded, checklist intensive LOFT exercises were reduced by half and replaced with manual non automatics handling in the circuit. Scan rates would improve dramatically and self-confidence restored.