# Commercial pilots: Is there a protocol for this? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 27, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125 "2003-09-27T06:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/41 "2003-09-28T19:06:22Z")
I am not a pilot, unless MS Flight Sim, some combat sims, and some space combat sims count, but I believe in the adage that any good landing is one you can walk away from. That said, I wouldn’t mind if the landing gear broke on landing and we had to walk across the tarmac to get back into the terminal. Then again, I also love turbulence, so a bit of a jouncer landing and a couple go-arounds don’t bother me any. I’m with **Johhny LA** that it’s fun to go through a thunderstorm. If you gave me the chance to go into a hurricane, either by descending into the eye from above or by going through it first, I’d love to go. I don’t get motion sick unless I’m also hot and/or dehydrated, and I’ve never come close to throwing up on a roller coaster. Give me six gees in the loops any day. A strong updraft or downdraft is just fun, as is side-to-side motion. Heck, depending on where I am in the cabin and the airport I’m landing at, I probably will have my nose in a book. Some people just don’t fly well, and I don’t understand why. I hate a lot of the aspects of commerical flying, but as for flying in general, whether it be in a jet, commerical prop, or private plane, I enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/42 "2003-09-28T19:14:10Z")
Oh, great. Now I have another forum to check. > [@](#): > > I’m with **Johhny LA** that it’s fun to go through a thunderstorm. I’d like to clarify this. There’s flying into a thunderstorm, and then there’s _flying into a thunderstorm!_ T-storms have a lot of convective turbulence. If you’re in a small aircraft, avoid them completely. If you’re in a large aircraft, avoid them. There are some storms that a large airliner can fly into safely and which the aircrews are prepared to handle. While my flight to MSY did have some close lightning bolts, we were not in the heart of the storm. Still plenty of turbulence there. I enjoy turbulence. I really do. But I would not like to, nor would I advise, flying into a cell if there is any danger of forces that are too extreme for the aircraft and aircrew. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/43 "2003-09-28T19:20:36Z")
I am not a pilot - but I am a passenger! I appreciate the air ‘professionals’ help on this thread, but I still think the pilot should have said something. To a passenger, it is **not normal** to touch the runway, then takeoff again. Therefore I expect the pilot (whom I am paying) to let me know, **as soon as practicable** , what is happening. I’m sure the pilot was busy powering up and taking off again. No doubt preparing a second landing involved checks and talking with the tower. But there are two pilots in the cockpit, and one of their duties is to look after the passengers. A plane load of frightened people, who know something is wrong and who have **not** been reassured that **anyone** is in control, might do something stupid. Mobs do not exhibit reasoned intelligence. Incidentally my mate has qualified as a private pilot. He took me up and I enjoyed the experience very much (including listening to radio communications through a headphone!). While on final approach to a country airfield, he suddenly had to abort the landing (because some idiot started taxiing across the runway). I said nothing and sat still, because he was obviously concentrating. After about 30 seconds, he calmly told me what had happened. (I know the other pilots had a lot more to do - but I would travel with my mate anytime - because he impressed me with his competence.) ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/44 "2003-09-28T19:39:02Z")
Oh yes! They got the passengers through a life-threatening situation, and were too concentrated on their work to reassure them. SUE THE BASTARDS. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/45 "2003-09-28T19:59:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > The old “the law doesn’t say I have to” argument is really weak - if that is the best you can come up with, please say you don’t fly passengers. If there is an emergency - or even a situation with a _potential_ to become an emergency the ONLY obligation of a pilot is to _fly the airplane_. That takes precedence over everything else. After a bad situation is (hopefully) avoided, then there is time to do a whole bunch of other stuff, but there the order of doing is mandated by, first and foremost, flying the airplane in a safe manner. After the airplane is on the ground, you still have to safely manuver through an airport, and yes, that is serious business. The worst collision between two 747’s occured on the ground (Tenerife). Yes, if something wonky or terrifying happened in an airplane I’d _like_ a calm, reassuring voice on the PA but I’ll take getting to the gate in one piece over that. Having been on airplane that hit something on take off, resulting in some Bad Stuff happening (smoke, fire, etc.) In that case, the pilot actually DID speak on the intercom - and sounded frightened enough to piss his pants. You know, I could have done _without_ that. If the captain is too angry or too frightened (yes, that does happen in bad situations - they’re human, too) to _calmly_ address the passengers then he (or she) should not do so. Maybe have the chief flight attendant do so - at least say something like “We’re having a situation here, the pilots are dealing with it. Please remain calm.” Hell, why blame the pilot - aren’t flight attendents given that much leeway? Part of their job is to deal with the passengers, after all. > [@](#): > > As to competence - if the co-pilot had been competent to land that plane at that airport at that time, there would have been no go-around. By definition, a competent pilot can land a plane on first try. Wrong. A _competant_ pilot knows when to abort a landing and try again. Even the _best_ pilot has an occassional bad landing. We’re dealing with the real world, boys and girls, with unpredictable events, including unexpected wind gusts. > [@](#): > > And, as the pilot is responsible for the ship, yes, it is on his/her head that the passengers were: > > a) terrorized > b) ignored > > And no, I don’t have any particular axe to grind with airlines (I don’t use them, and feel sorry for those who do). My bitch is with idiots who think they can inflict suffering and not even have to say “sorry”. > > The flight crew was irresponsible - and their employer should be held accountable for their actions. Dude, you can’t have it both ways - first you say the flight crew is reponsible, then you say their employer is. In actual fact, it is the _captain_, a.k.a. the pilot-in-command (PIC), who is responsible for the flight. If the co-pilot screws up the PIC is going to catch hell for _allowing_ the co-pilot to screw up. Also, let’s get real here - _no one_ INTENDED to “terrorize” anybody. Something scary, happened, yes, but it was not intentional. Ignored? Yeah, they could have told everyone after it was over that “yeah, that first touch-down wasn’t a good one - that’s why we went back up and did it again, because we care about your safety. We apologize for any concern. We waited until this point to speak with you because up until now we were focusing on making sure nothing else went wrong.” Yeah, they _should have_ done something like that and they didn’t - I don’t see this as a criminal offense, though, or something worth suing over. > [@](#): > > And why do you say it was a crosswind problem? I was unable to find anything on either the NTSB or the Sacto Bee. “Crosswind problems” are not usually reported to the NTSB because they qualify neither as accidents or incidents. This sort of thing doesn’t usually get in the newspapers, either, unless a reporter is on board or someone calls the paper. > [@](#): > > And, had the gear been damaged, I really hope that it wouldn’t have been diverted to SFO or LAX - wouldn’t you divert a damaged plane to a less-used airport? No. You divert to the _best-equipped_ airport to deal with an emergency, which may, indeed, be a very busy airport. That’s OK - air traffic control will get the other traffic out of your way. When an emergency occurs a pilot is supposed to take whatever actions are necessary to maximize _safety_ - not minimize inconvenience. > [@](#): > > I really don’t think you’d want a plane cartwheeling down a runway at a busy airport. (IIRC, Hayward is the reliever for the bay area) Having seen what’s left of a cartwheeled airplane up close, I can’t imagine you’d want a plane cartwheeling down the runway at _any_ airport, busy or not. I’m going to explain something for the beneift of the non-pilots, who probably don’t know it, but is so obvious to pilots they forget the rest of the world isn’t educated on the matter. This, by the way, applies to ALL airplanes of ANY size. When an airplane is parked on the pavement _all_ of the weight is on the wheels and the wings do not support the airplane (I said this was obvious - stay with me). When it’s in the air, _all_ off the weight is supported by the wings, none by the wheels. When the wieght is on the wheels and the plane is moving - such as when slowly moving about between gate and runway - the wheels have enough traction to steer. When the airplane is flying - that is, wholly in the air and all the weight on the wings - then the “control surfaces” steer the airplane. However, during both take-off and landing there is a period of time when the airplane is in an in-between state, the weight partially supported by both wings and wheels, but wholly supported by neither. And the steering mechanisms, likewise, are not wholly efficient, either. On the list of many things that go into a good take off or landing is the item that involves _minimizing_ the amount of time you are in this state and safely _managing_ directional control during that time. On a windless day (a true rarity) this time is brief and there is little to throw the airplane off course. On a windy, gusty day, particularly with a crosswind, control is more difficult and this transition time is when a pilot is most likely to “lose directional control” as the safety guys put it. For this reason, when there is wind, gusts, or anything else to complicate steering you DO want to plant the wheels _very firmly_ on the pavement - which passengers might interpret as a hard or bad landing - because that’s a quick way to get the weight from the wings onto the wheels and get out of that in-between state. The passengers may not like it as much, but their safety takes precedence over a fondness for feather-smooth landings in this sort of situation. In a situation where the airplane is fish-tailing - such as described - if you’re close to flying speed then taking off again might be the safest course: speed up, get the weight on the wings, get flying where the flight controls again have full steering authority and maximize your control of the airplane. Again, get _out_ of that in-between transitional state. Afterward, when you’re back up in the air, there will be numerous things to do, including attempting to determine if any damage has been caused. When an airplane is low to the ground the pilot MUST remain focused strictly on flying the airplane. I fly small, slow, simple aircraft. Nonetheless, I have had situations where so much is going so wrong that I simply _do not have time OR attention_ to worry about the passengers. This is not me being mean to them - my first responsibility is to keep us safe, not quiet screaming, afraid people however much I want to stop and reassure them. When things calm down again I will speak with them - but that point in time may come later than a passenger expects because it’s not just a matter of avoiding a collision (as an example) - I have to make sure that we’re not heading into another bad situation as airport traffic dodges each other, the airplane is correctly set up for what we need to do next, and there are no other emergencies are occuring. Yes, it is entirely plausible to me that the two guys up front in a passenger jet could be so busy with an aborted landing that yes, they don’t have time to talk with the passengers immediately. As far as there being _two_ pilots up front - if the co-pilot really DID screw up thoroughly the captain might wind up doing the job of two pilots, to keep the guy from doing anything else wild. Perhaps the co-pilot was incapacitated somehow - it’s very rare, but it does happen. The point is, no matter what sort of noises are coming from the passenger cabin the pilots’ job is to fly first, before all else. Again, I thoroughly agree that something should have been said to the passengers prior to “deplaning” at the latest. ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/46 "2003-09-28T19:59:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > \*\*Who let this creep in? \*\* Ah yes, I’m a creep because I’m fed up with retards like you who sue at the drop of a hat. And also, I’m not worthy to partake in your silly “debate” because I haven’t been following it since it was in IMHO :rolleyes:. I wish I could use img tags on this board, because the retard emoticon is much more suitable for you. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/47 "2003-09-28T20:09:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glee \* > To a passenger, it is **not normal** to touch the runway, then takeoff again. Therefore I expect the pilot (whom I am paying) to let me know, **as soon as practicable** , what is happening. > I’m sure the pilot was busy powering up and taking off again. No doubt preparing a second landing involved checks and talking with the tower. But there are two pilots in the cockpit, and one of their duties is to look after the passengers. You’re absolutely right, it’s not normal to the passengers to do a “go around” (that’s what we call those manuvers). It’s not even normal for the flight crews. I think us pilots are in agreement with you that _something_ should have been said at some point. I was on a flight once where we were doing the usual descent when all of a sudden I heard the engines rev up again. Now, knowing what I know, I knew what was coming - we weren’t landing, we were going to go back up again and come around for another landing. I said as much to my seat mate, who fired back with “you’re crazy - we’re still going down”. I said “Just you wait, we’ll go back up again soon enough, make a circle, and then we’ll land”. Sure enough, that’s what we did. At which point he starts up with “How did you know? How did you know?” Well, I’m a pilot. But that doesn’t mean I know _why_ we did that, or if the pilot is _avoiding_ an emergency or _having_ an emergency. Yep, my heart was beating a little faster. We also got into the "But you don’t look like a pilot argument, but that’s a different rant It wasn’t until we were at the gate and the airplane at a complete halt, though, that the pilot got on the PA and explained a truck had pulled onto the runway and that’s why he aborted the landing. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/48 "2003-09-28T20:16:00Z")
Maybe a stewardess could have soothed the frightened passengers? I know it’s _their_ job to keep the custormers happy. Of course it’s easy to think of the right answer from the comfort of my computer chair. ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/49 "2003-09-28T20:17:37Z")
They were most likely buckled in for landing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/50 "2003-09-28T20:19:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > The problem was not in the botched landing/go-around - it was in the failure to inform passengers of what the situation was - a 5-second xmit would have been all that was required - if they circled twice, there was more than enough time to allay passenger fears - failure to do so should be actionable. Mmm… no, it doesn’t follow that if they had time to circle twice they had time to talk to the passengers. For one thing, they may have been talking to the tower. Or each other. > [@](#): > > One more time - the fault was not in the actions taken, but in the actions NOT taken - keeping the customers happy is always nice - at a minimum, you should at least assure them that the situation was routine, and they weren’t all going to die in a huge fireball. Aviation is a strange business. The truth is, keeping the customer _happy_ is not always the best course to achieve the most important goal, which is to keep the customer _alive_. Any pilot - even those who do not fly commercially - can tell you stories about having to deal with folks who are enraged or upset that you are not giving them what they _want_ because you are too busy giving them what they _need_ - a safe flight. Or, in some cases, no flight at all. I’ve got a friend who was being threatened by a musician of some fame who will not be named because this guy had HAD TO get to a concert and, dammit, he was paying to have that done, weather be damned. My friend finally shut him up by saying “I’m sure that’s what Buddy Holly said before HE got in the plane, too.” I have never delibrately scared ANYONE in an airplane. I go to considerable trouble to make sure I do not do that to my passengers. Unfortuately, though, sometimes things happen and sometimes people get scared. I’m really sorry about that. But the mere fact you got scared is not grounds for a lawsuit from my viewpoint. If you are that delicate _don’t fly_. ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/51 "2003-09-28T20:55:04Z")
The passengers paid for a flight - not to be treated like baggage, scared the hell out of, then ignored. Let a court decide the duty to passenger question - the FAR’s don’t address it, apparently some carrier’s checklists do. For me it is (the old non-sequitur) “common sense” that you calm frightened people - especially those in your care. And, since this has moved to a new forum (thanks bunches!) I’ll repeat: The problem was NOT: Botched landing Go-around People freaking The problem WAS: The airline’s utter indifference to the plight of its paying passengers. See the difference? p.s. - This has nothing to do with not taking off into adverse weather, but thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/52 "2003-09-28T21:15:06Z")
Extraneous, you continue to reassert arguments in favor of suing yet utterly fail to address any of the arguments brought up by any of the posters. The only one you deemed worthy of a direct response is the one who dared give you the googly eyes. My only conclusion is that you’re just not bothering to actually read some of the well crafted rebuttals by the actual pilots of the board. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/53 "2003-09-28T21:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Extraneous \* > Let a court decide the duty to passenger question_\* What do you expect the courts to say? That a passenger’s happiness takes precedence over the life of everyone on board? Please. Look, you are not a pilot. You were not on this flight. You don’t know anybody who was on the flight. Actual pilots have posted, over and over, plausible explanations for what happened, and good reasons for not talking to the passengers. But you continue along undeterred by the forces of logic and reason, spewing crap about lawsuits and duty to passengers. What makes you think you know better than actual pilots with questions related to operating a fucking airplane? ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/54 "2003-09-28T21:51:16Z")
Oh good, we’re in the Pit now: **Extraneous** , you are living up to your name admirably. Drop it already. ---
**Author:** ![wireless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/55 "2003-09-28T22:01:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > \*\*The passengers paid for a flight > \*\* Yes, they paid to be transported, along with their baggage, from point A to point B, safely, within a certain timeframe, and possibly with certain amenities (drinks, movie, etc.). This is what they got. Other things (pillows, magazines, BABYSITTING WORRY-WORT PASSENGERS) are “nice-to-haves”, no-one seems to disagree, but they are not IMO a contractual requirement, and certainly not sue-worthy. See the difference? ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/56 "2003-09-28T23:28:18Z")
I’m with **coffeecat** here. Pilot’s job is to look after the plane. Flight Attendants have the job of looking after passengers. It was the FAs who goofed. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/57 "2003-09-28T23:49:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Who let this creep in? Well, as far as I can tell, you just gave an email address, a user name, and the board server did the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/58 "2003-09-28T23:53:04Z")
Let’s just hope **Extraneous** never tries drinking coffee while driving. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/59 "2003-09-28T23:55:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by suezeekay \* > I just want to say that my son flies a lot and he is the kind of person who isn’t bothered by much. He’s a nurse/paramedic and of course has dealt with many terrible things and I’ve never seen him get overwrought. His girlfriend was screaming after the plane slammed onto the runway and was sliding back and forth; after they took off again he reasoned that if there was going to be an emergency landing the captain or steward would have told them to put their heads down and at least warned them. I’m sure it was very frightening. As I mentioned in a previous post I’ve been the frightened passenger in the main cabin wondering if I was going to die. It’s horrible. I _am_ a little puzzled that nothing was said to the passengers. In my experience most flight crews do make an effort to explain things to passengers and maintain calm. It’s also counter-intuitive for a lot of people when pilots don’t land immediately when something goes wrong. We tend to associate the ground with safety, but that’s not always true. Sometimes, the safest place to be is UP - but in those circumstances you often don’t have time for a brief lecture on aerodynamics, safety procedures, and what we’ve learned from 100 years of powered flight. You just _do it_ and explain later. But it _does_ increase the anxiety/fear in the passengers. I wish people had more familiarity with flight, but they don’t. I do know that there have been times I’ve been riding as a passenger on a commercial flight and spent some time reassuring my fellow passengers that a noise was perfectly normal noise and was actually reassuring because it meant some mechanical part was working (example: that thud is the landing gear going down - it’s a _good_ thud, it means the wheels are down and we can land now); or that the turbulence we just flew through, although strong enough to overturn drinks and stuff, was nowhere near strong enough to damage the airplane; and various other comforting messages. > [@](#): > > My oldest son was involved in an emergency landing several years ago and they were assembled after the fact and everything was explained. So that’s why this son assumed that they would be told everything once they were off the plane. I agree with you (and others) that this should have been done. Why it wasn’t I haven’t a clue. > [@](#): > > I think pilots forget how aware most passengers are that they are literally putting their lives in his/her hands and how much they trust that if anything goes wrong they will do their utmost to if not reassure them at least explain. Apparently not. Please do not judge all pilots by the possibly less than stellar performance of one flight crew. Most pilots I know are very aware that they are responsible for everyone on board. Believe me, the first time that sinks in, it is a very sobering experience. > [@](#): > > My oldest son has not been on a plane since the incident he was involved in; he traveled three days to come see me this summer on the train. After the incident I mentioned earlier, where I was on an airplane that hit something just after takeoff, I didn’t get on a commercial aircraft for seven years, and that only after I had started flight training to become a pilot myself. The reason? Fear. Yes, a pilot-in-training afraid of flying the airlines. I have a lot of empathy for fearful passengers, having been one myself. I tell people who are afraid that it’s OK - after all, very few non-pilots know much, if anything, about how airplanes work or what is and isn’t safe. You don’t know, you don’t have any control, and it’s _normal_ to be anxious or fearful in such circumstances. I hope your son does try to fly again rather than take the train “for three days” but if he doesn’t I will certainly understand - I rode Amtrak for several years after my scare. > [@](#): > > I used to feel that pilots wore the mantle of their responsiblity with sincere concern for those who have entrusted their well-being to him/her Most of them do. As I said, do not let the actions of a few tarnish the reputation of many. > [@](#): > > I think that if that were to happen to me, my fears, unfounded or not, would just be considered an unwanted burden; like I’m some kind of dumb, overly emotional passenger who is more of a pain in the neck than anything. Gee, I hope I _never_ feel like that about a passenger. Sure, you may be afraid of something you don’t need to be afraid of, but it’s MY responsibility to avoid scaring you. If I do scare you, even unintentionally, then on some level I’ve failed to do a complete job. Well, yeah, if I have to do something extreme to avoid a mid-air collision or something equally dangerous I will, even if it will scare the spit out of you, but I’d certainly give you an explanation afterward. If you are afraid you are afraid - that’s NOT “overly emotional”, that’s how you feel. It would be like berating someone for getting airsick - it’s not something you can help. (And, to be honest, EVERYONE gets airsick sooner or later. I once almost puked on my checkride examiner. Me, nervous? Naw… Great first impression.) Likewise, every pilot I’ve ever met has been scared in the air at one point or another, we _know_ how bad that feels and the good ones - hell, even the mediocre ones - avoid doing that to passengers and if it does happen, try to make amends. Unfortunately, because pilots are human beings, you get some less than respectable types in the mix. If you’re afraid, you’re afraid. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re being foolish. Now, you may be afraid of something you don’t need to fear, but berating you won’t solve the problem. If someone wants to face their fears I’m more than willing to help them but it’s not something someone should be forced to do. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125/60 "2003-09-29T00:51:46Z")
Extraneous: Have you the slightest clue what, specifically, grounds the lawsuit might allege? In other words, generally a lawsuit must allege that someone owed you a legal duty of care, which was breached, and as a result you suffered injury. If somehits hits your car and you suffer a broken bumper and a broken wrist, you’re in good shape to sue: the law imposes a duty not to hit other cars. In this case, what legal duty do you imagine was breached? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercial-pilots-is-there-a-protocol-for-this/204125.md?page=4)