This article doesn't really address anything particular about the design characteristics of the A310 other than that there is a history of pilot error incidents

This article doesn't really address anything particular about the design characteristics of the A310 other than that there is a history of pilot error incidents involving this aircraft -- like all other aircraft. Also, a radar altimeter is capable of providing accurate altitude over water as it is over terrain. On a tangent, there is no evidence to support the claim that Aeroflot has a "third world" safety record. It is quite the opposite during the post-Soviet era.