My problem with labeling pilot's who have made a poor decision as an "idiot" is that, I don't consider myself as an idiot and I have been trained not to turn back, so I don't have to worry about it because, only an "idiot" would do it, so obviously I wont do it. I am much more interested in why experienced pilots sometimes make these bad decisions rather than just labeling them as fools.
I think the psychology of it is easily understood, the roads are full of idiots, means -I am not an idiot therefore I wont have an accident and if I do have an accident, it can't my fault it is the is fault of one of those "idiots"
Air France Flight 447 - pilot pulls back on stick despite stall warnings - we could say what an idiot or we can ask what causes an experienced pilot to make such a basic mistake I recall taxiing up to the fuel bowser where I found on the tarmac the fuel cap to an aircraft that had just taken off, rather than saying it happened because the pilot was stupid (not like me of course!) I wan't to know how it happened and how I can avoid making the same mistake.
The other approach could be something along the lines of, pilot finds themselves in fog, forced to land on road - cause of incident, well it's obvious pilot must be an idiot.
now - standing by to be called an idiot!
regards
Graham