I’m thinking that there is a design error in addition to pilot error. If that much of a difference can be caused by a single key stroke mistake, the there needs to be at least some form of accuracy check on the data input.
Airbus planes ARE a design error. I avoid flying on them. It’s a miracle that one ever got airborne.
The aircraft is a computer. Garbage in, garbage out. It’s up to the pilots to crosscheck the data and ensure it’s correct. There are several ways to do that but one involves the old “that just doesn’t look right” feeling that sometimes creeps into the back of your thoughts. Relying on the automation is a failure that’s very common these days.
There is... it's the other pilot's job to check the data entry for something this critical...
The story says one screwed up with the wrong keystroke, and the other screwed up by not checking correctly...