THE BRAZILIAN AIR CRASH
News coming in indicate that the plane crash that snuffed out the lives of seventy- five persons including a whole soccer team....Capacoense of Brazil.... simply ran out of fuel in the air. What arrant nonsense. Some people are just irresponsible!
New feelers indicate that the pilot circled the airport several times while queueing to land, his fuel ran out in the the process. and his desperate pleas to the Air Traffic Controller for priority for emergency landing was treated with levity!
His fuel was scant! He should have had enough extra duel to divert to another airport in case an emergency arose at his destination airport! That is the standard practice. I am a doctor. Not a pilot. With a bit of common sense! http://m.france24.com/en/20161201-crashed-plane-carrying-brazilian-football-team-ran-out-fuel ".
But the Air Traffic Controller is no less guilty than the pilot! These other ranks cause mayhem everywhere...the paramedic to the doctor...the court staff to the lawyer....the air hostesses, stewards, aircraft engineers and air traffic controllers to the pilot. I read of an instance in which an air steward so damaged the eye of a pilot by a blow that the pilot required immediate surgery and the flight was delayed so the airline could change the entire crew!
So, across board, you find these professionals bending overboard to please these support staff so they may be credited with good human relations, the support staff remaining unpacified by such obtuse overtures and the customers suffering in the process....in this case paying with their lives!
I have seen how lawyers practically worship court staff to get their cases filed...
And I know how doctors try not to criticise the intentional shortcomings of nurses, refrain from reporting them officially but rather perform their duties for sakes of "peace"...yet they remain unpacified as patients die needlessly in scores!
The mindset of paramedics who make moves to be addressed as doctors is clear enough!
Yet, no one prevents these disgruntled elements from retraining as doctors....as lawyers...
And as pilots!
Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.