Everyone makes bad decisions. It is not "ok" any more than hurricaines
are "ok". But they happen. Saying that is =not= saying that minimizing
bad decisions, and minimizing the =impact= of bad decisions, is not
important. It is. But badmouthing pilots does not help minimize bad
decisions.

Badmouthing pilots is an entirely separate issue. That's just bad manners,
and falls under the heading of "If you can't say anything nice, don't say
anything at all."

Place your bets where you will (and there are good and bad places to place
your bets) but the dice still roll.

I'll agree with you on mechanical issues. In that realm, sh*t happens, and
can happen at any moment.

On the piloting side, however, I think we are masters of our own fate. Your
superior skill must outweigh the random acts of "bad luck" (for lack of a
better phrase) throughout every phase of flight. When your skills fail,
you fail -- and if it occurs at a critical moment of flight, you die.

Pilot error is bad piloting. If we choose to believe that the guy who made
a fatal error wasn't a bad pilot, that is charitable.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"