'cause I wouldn't let 'em do music, newspapers, books, magazines, crossword puzzles, computers, etc., etc. ...
I figured I got paid enough to do the job ... and do it 'right'.
Too bad people have to die ... before some guys get it 'right'.
On one hand, I find it pretty outrageous that someone could be so irresponsible while their sole job for a few hours is to get the 180+ lives they are transporting to their destination safely. That is a lot of people whose lives and trust depend on you to do it right, EVERY TIME. Commercial airline pilots are paid a good sum of money (or used to be anyhow), and it isn't to jerk each other off in the cockpit.
On the other hand, I can see how after doing this for many many years, with so many uneventful flights along the same route, talking to the same controllers, dozens and dozens of times in a row, how one could get complacent. I don't think these are bad people, just people that got incredibly complacent. Complacency is an insidious thing.
While I think that a good deal of blame should be placed on these aviators, I would also question NWA's policy and the professional atmosphere that it is supposed to be maintaining.
While probably a big difference from the airlines, I feel that the very few squadrons I have been a part of have done a great job of combating complacency. I actually appreciate the safety stand downs, operational excellence meetings and AOMs, and not because I can just go home and drink beer afterwards, but because I feel that they really do a good job of taking people out of their normal habit patterns and reminding them that complacency kills in this business.
My newbie .02 on it anyhow.