At a time when you are left shaking your head at the pain and devastation human beings can cause, occasionally we’re reminded that people are also capable of beautiful acts of kindness and compassion.
Last week, Andreas Lubitz, co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525, purposefully crashed the Airbus 320 into the French Alps. He deliberately overrode the plane’s course, descending into the side of a mountain. The crash killed all 150 people on board.
The next day, passenger Britta Englisch, was feeling understandably emotional. She, like many others, felt nervous about boarding a Germanwings plane just one day after 150 people lost their lives.
But one special pilot made sure her experience wasn’t one of fear or apprehension. It was something very different. Something wonderful. And she took to Facebook to share it:
“Yesterday morning at 8:40 a.m., I got onto a Germanwings flight from Hamburg to Cologne with mixed feelings. But then the captain not only welcomed each passenger separately, he also made a short speech before take off. Not from the cockpit — he was standing in the cabin. He spoke about how the accident touched him and the whole crew. About how queasy the crew feels, but that everybody from the crew is voluntarily here. And about his family and that the crew have a family and that he is going to do everything to be with his family again tonight. It was completely silent. And then everybody applauded. I want to thank this pilot. He understood what everybody was thinking. And that he managed to give, at least me, a good feeling for this flight.”
A man who has had his employer, his profession and his reputation as a pilot undoubtedly rocked by such an horrific tragedy took the time to make others feel at ease. He let every individual on that plane know that he saw them, not just as face-less passengers, but as people. He made them feel safe.
Such a simple but wonderful gesture.
Top Comments
I think his doctors must take some blame why? because they knew he was an active pilot yet failed to inform his employers Had they done I'm in no doubt that he would have been grounded there and then
And yes I know about doctors being bound to keep a clients condition secret but were there's the possibility that the person may endanger others the doctor has a duty to report it
thats awesome whenever i got worried on a flight I always felt better when I thought they wanted to go home to their family to.