At least in the Buffalo case (crash was down the road from house I grew up in) the pilots didn't know what they were doing and it was a very cold night with ice

At least in the Buffalo case (crash was down the road from house I grew up in) the pilots didn't know what they were doing and it was a very cold night with ice on the plane. If I remember correctly they pulled back when flying too low and the plane dropped - was a freshman in college at the time though and don't really remember specifics. The recording recovered of the pilots didn't inspire confidence. This would play into the distinction the article makes about 'major' airlines and the culture differences probably.