In my mind, a "good, skilled, etc." pilot would probably never have ended up in such a situation in the first place.
While the Russian's last-ditch maneuver and his recovery showed he was an unusually good stick-and-rudder pilot who knew how to get the most of of his airplane, the fact that he even had to make the maneuver in the first place concerns me.
It was a clear day, good visibility, wing levels seemed fairly moral, minimal deck pitch. Not conditions which usually lead to such close calls. I'm not trying to in any way denigrate the skill it takes to land on a carrier, and I have utmost respect for all brownshoes, regardless of the uniform they wear, however, I'm hard-pressed to find a clear-cut reason for this event that doesn't boil down to pilot error or poor judgment on the part of the Russian paddles (LSO).
Someone screwed up big time and made a major error in judgment and the pilot only survived because he was good/lucky.
I know that I sound very judgmental is saying this, especially since I am a non-aviator and little more than an aircraft enthusiast.
If I am wrong or if I am missing something important here, I'd like to hear your opinions on this matter.
