All modern planes rely on computers and automated systems. The A330 has made 3.5 million flights, carrying 707 million passengers, and this is it's first crash in service. (That excludes an early test flight crash at Toulouse.)

An experienced transatlantic pilot said that modern pilots were trained not to attempt to fight turbulence, which often made things worse - the autopilot usually did a better job.

Why this plane wasn't able to avoid the worst turbulence, we'll probably never know. Incidentally, a local airframe designer says that it's very unlikely that turbulence alone could bring down an aircraft as big as an A330.

Phil