Originally Posted by
galaxy flyer
...Would Colgan 3407 crew been better prepared for the situation, they created, by having a bigger paycheck?
In terms of having enough money to rent an apartment for adequate sleep, I think they would.
... Would it be more accurate to say it was a regulatory failure to ensure correct training, a systemic failure to weed out pilots who are not capable of being captains and acting responsibly in matters of rest and adherence to procedure?..
Absolutely yes, at least in my thinking, and I suspect that market forces pressured 3407 check airmen and FAA personnel to lower their standards in service of money and larger markets. Money kills in this case if markets are mostly about money, and I leave it to you to decide if the latter is the case.
...Ultimately, money doesn't guarantee professional conduct, only high ethical standards does...
That's right and it is why we need boundaries. I think of it as an ILS needle going full scale- when it gets too close to the edge someone needs to either intervene or call missed approach, because the PF is not getting the job done. This would be role of regulation according to my analogy. Nothing happens as long as the needle stays in the middle.