Mark, I appreciate your perspective, and you’re absolutely right, strong situational awareness and fundamental knowledge of the runway environment are critical. No checklist alone can substitute for that, and I agree that lining up on a yellow taxiway line is a serious error that shouldn’t happen at any operational level.
That said, I’d offer a thought on what might be missing from the discussion. While pilot error is certainly the core issue here, I wonder if this was more of a crew error, not as an excuse, but as a way to better understand the root of the problem.
CRM principles are designed to catch these kinds of lapses before they escalate. A well-trained Pilot Monitoring (PM), in support of the Pilot Flying (PF), plays a crucial role in preventing these errors. The PM’s responsibilities go beyond routine monitoring, they are expected to actively observe, verify, and assist throughout the flight. Ideally, the PM should have questioned the runway alignment or called attention to those yellow markings.
CRM also emphasizes recognizing distractions, fatigue, or task overload, any of which could have contributed in this case. The PM’s role is to help manage those factors by maintaining a second layer of defense, monitoring instruments, confirming checklist completion, and speaking up if something doesn’t seem right.
I agree this is a tough one to explain, and like you, I feel for the pilots. But I believe there’s value in looking beyond just individual skill and examining how better crew coordination might have made a difference. Sometimes the best pilots, even those with solid fundamentals, still need a teammate to speak up at the right moment.
Curious to hear your thoughts on how CRM fits into this.