Nice couple of posts, guys.
I still think many see the solution as adding more automated internal system checks; i.e. the computer will say "entry error" or some such. I've noticed over the past 30 years that the more 'safeguards' are put in place the more they become relied upon; and that was before Microsoft & Apple took over the world. Pilots were told that there were inbuilt safety guards so they could not make a mistake. Guess what, sometimes they didn't work e.g. the G-IV crash in another thread. The auto throttle inhibition didn't work. The Spanair (MAD) takeoff config didn't work. etc. etc. And let's not get into FBW stuff. In human factor terms this is dulling to the educated brain, and we pilots are all supposed to have one of those. It has been said so many times that one problem with modern a/c is the human has become a monitor; our educated brains are acting at too low a level of activity. We are lulled into complacency and blind trust. It's almost as if there is no more fear about aviating. It's as if we think, arrogantly, that we belong aloft. It is our world. It is not.
Even the AA Cali crash was lack of X-check in a rush, and by todays standards that was a simple a/c. What will be the pitfalls of the future? Engineers will be trying to eliminate pilot screw ups with technology. I wonder if we are reaching the point of diminishing returns?
One thing is already happening: the level of education and ability to be sitting up front has been diluted. It is now seen as a basic job. Follow the SOP's, QRH, EFB and you'll be fine. T's & C's have reduced accordingly. MPA, MPL, self funded jet training with 150hrs etc. etc. See the thread on robots & pilot replacement. Project forward 100years.
However, we are here today. I think technology is progressing at the pace of the design engineers and not at the pace of pilot (human) adaptation. I see all the reports from the human factor professors about the change from command pilot to monitoring pilot. Where were they at the design phase? It seems a lot of hind sight; meanwhile the basic training/checking remains the same as yonks ago. There is a lack of coordination in the whole process.