5.13.2009

The Buffalo plane crash is still bothering me. Yesterday I said that people automatically want someone to blame when bad things happen. That remains true. I also said that in times of tragedy and loss, direct accountability can be like an endless game of hide and seek. Sometimes there's someone there, sometimes there's not.

Accidents happen.

Sometimes inexplicably, sometimes unavoidably, sometimes inevitably. Let's not forget: planes are machines, pilots are human. You can be trained, certified, and promoted all day long, but in reality, it doesn't mean that human error no longer exists. In theory, we can feel assured by documentation, plaques, and seals of approval, knowledge is power, but it won't shield us from circumstance. Maybe the pilot was a slow learner, maybe he didn't do what he was supposed to do when the plane stalled, maybe Colgan Air and the FAA should re-evaluate its training and certification protocol. Maybe lots of things. Regardless, the situation should be seen like this: an airplane is a manmade machine, flying through air incredibly high and incredibly fast, and it's being controlled and operated by humans.

There are absolutely no guarantees in that scenario. The risks outweigh the convenience, always. But it's a risk many take.

Human error will always be a threat to our safety. Nothing is safe, fool-proof. Sometimes its as simple and circumstantial as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's so cliche, but yet true. And when that happens, there's nothing you can do. You can hope and pray for saftey and well being, but that's about it.

That's the way life works.

I sympathize with the victims' families. Something so horrific and hopeless is heart wrenching and difficult to digest. I would never even try to imagine what it must feel like to lose a friend or loved one in such a tragedy. This story obviously haunts me.

I will say this, though: no one is guaranteed a long, healthy, safe life.

So, in the meantime, enjoy it.