Viswash walked away from the Air India crash. Other sole survivors know the feeling
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Lamson posted on Thursday that he stays in touch with other sole survivors and finds 'there's an unspoken understanding, and it's been comforting'.
'My heart goes out to the survivor in India and to all the families waking up to loss today,' Lamson wrote.
'There are no right words for moments like this, but I wanted to acknowledge it.
'These events don't just make headlines. They leave a lasting echo in the lives of those who've lived through something similar.'
Jim Polehinke was co-pilot of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky when it overran the runway on takeoff, killing all 47 passengers and two of the three crew
When his wife told him everyone else on the plane had died, Polehinke wept.
'My first concern was the passengers that were my responsibility that day,' he said in the 2013 documentary.
Adding to survivor's guilt is the fact that the airline announced in the aftermath of the crash that Polehinke and the pilot violated policy by having an extended personal conversation when they were supposed to be focused on the flight.
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But one of the investigators of that crash told the filmmakers the pilots' personal conversation probably had nothing to do with the crash, and everyone told investigators that Polehinke and the pilot were highly competent professionals.
The accident still haunts Polehinke, though, who now uses a wheelchair to get around.
'I don't think there'll ever be a time that maybe I can forgive myself,' he said.
'I just hope that God can give the family members some comfort, some peace and some compassion, so their burden gets less as time goes on.'
Cecelia Crocker doesn't just carry the marks of the 1987 crash she survived on her heart and in the scars on her arms, legs and forehead. She also got an airplane tattoo on her wrist.
Crocker, who was known as Cecelia Cichan at the time of the crash, said in the documentary that she thought about the crash every day.
She was four years old when she flew on Northwest Airlines Flight 255 and it crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing 154 people on board, including her parents and brother. Two people also died on the ground.
The Phoenix-bound McDonnell Douglas MD80 was clearing the runway when it tilted and the left wing clipped a light pole before shearing the top off a rental car building.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the plane's crew had failed to set the wing flaps properly for takeoff. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem.
'I got this tattoo as a reminder of where I've come from. I see it as – so many scars were put on my body against my will – and I decided to put this on my body for myself,' she said.
'I think that me surviving was random. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.'
But Lamson said in the documentary that he did not believe in random chance.
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The Age
17 hours ago
- The Age
Viswash walked away from the Air India crash. Other sole survivors know the feeling
Loading Lamson posted on Thursday that he stays in touch with other sole survivors and finds 'there's an unspoken understanding, and it's been comforting'. 'My heart goes out to the survivor in India and to all the families waking up to loss today,' Lamson wrote. 'There are no right words for moments like this, but I wanted to acknowledge it. 'These events don't just make headlines. They leave a lasting echo in the lives of those who've lived through something similar.' Jim Polehinke was co-pilot of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky when it overran the runway on takeoff, killing all 47 passengers and two of the three crew When his wife told him everyone else on the plane had died, Polehinke wept. 'My first concern was the passengers that were my responsibility that day,' he said in the 2013 documentary. Adding to survivor's guilt is the fact that the airline announced in the aftermath of the crash that Polehinke and the pilot violated policy by having an extended personal conversation when they were supposed to be focused on the flight. Loading But one of the investigators of that crash told the filmmakers the pilots' personal conversation probably had nothing to do with the crash, and everyone told investigators that Polehinke and the pilot were highly competent professionals. The accident still haunts Polehinke, though, who now uses a wheelchair to get around. 'I don't think there'll ever be a time that maybe I can forgive myself,' he said. 'I just hope that God can give the family members some comfort, some peace and some compassion, so their burden gets less as time goes on.' Cecelia Crocker doesn't just carry the marks of the 1987 crash she survived on her heart and in the scars on her arms, legs and forehead. She also got an airplane tattoo on her wrist. Crocker, who was known as Cecelia Cichan at the time of the crash, said in the documentary that she thought about the crash every day. She was four years old when she flew on Northwest Airlines Flight 255 and it crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing 154 people on board, including her parents and brother. Two people also died on the ground. The Phoenix-bound McDonnell Douglas MD80 was clearing the runway when it tilted and the left wing clipped a light pole before shearing the top off a rental car building. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the plane's crew had failed to set the wing flaps properly for takeoff. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem. 'I got this tattoo as a reminder of where I've come from. I see it as – so many scars were put on my body against my will – and I decided to put this on my body for myself,' she said. 'I think that me surviving was random. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.' But Lamson said in the documentary that he did not believe in random chance.
Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Viswash walked away from the Air India crash. Other sole survivors know the feeling
Loading Lamson posted on Thursday that he stays in touch with other sole survivors and finds 'there's an unspoken understanding, and it's been comforting'. 'My heart goes out to the survivor in India and to all the families waking up to loss today,' Lamson wrote. 'There are no right words for moments like this, but I wanted to acknowledge it. 'These events don't just make headlines. They leave a lasting echo in the lives of those who've lived through something similar.' Jim Polehinke was co-pilot of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky when it overran the runway on takeoff, killing all 47 passengers and two of the three crew When his wife told him everyone else on the plane had died, Polehinke wept. 'My first concern was the passengers that were my responsibility that day,' he said in the 2013 documentary. Adding to survivor's guilt is the fact that the airline announced in the aftermath of the crash that Polehinke and the pilot violated policy by having an extended personal conversation when they were supposed to be focused on the flight. Loading But one of the investigators of that crash told the filmmakers the pilots' personal conversation probably had nothing to do with the crash, and everyone told investigators that Polehinke and the pilot were highly competent professionals. The accident still haunts Polehinke, though, who now uses a wheelchair to get around. 'I don't think there'll ever be a time that maybe I can forgive myself,' he said. 'I just hope that God can give the family members some comfort, some peace and some compassion, so their burden gets less as time goes on.' Cecelia Crocker doesn't just carry the marks of the 1987 crash she survived on her heart and in the scars on her arms, legs and forehead. She also got an airplane tattoo on her wrist. Crocker, who was known as Cecelia Cichan at the time of the crash, said in the documentary that she thought about the crash every day. She was four years old when she flew on Northwest Airlines Flight 255 and it crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing 154 people on board, including her parents and brother. Two people also died on the ground. The Phoenix-bound McDonnell Douglas MD80 was clearing the runway when it tilted and the left wing clipped a light pole before shearing the top off a rental car building. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the plane's crew had failed to set the wing flaps properly for takeoff. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem. 'I got this tattoo as a reminder of where I've come from. I see it as – so many scars were put on my body against my will – and I decided to put this on my body for myself,' she said. 'I think that me surviving was random. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.' But Lamson said in the documentary that he did not believe in random chance.
7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
Air India black boxes recovered after 241 killed just after take-off in Ahmedabad
Investigators have recovered equipment from this week's tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, which could shed light on the final moments on the flight deck. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which were recovered from on top of the medical college hostel building where the plane crashed, could put to rest some of the speculation into the investigation that killed 241 people aboard the aircraft, according to aviation industry experts. The flight data recorder was recovered from the rear end of the plane. The question will be whether the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators, India or another country will ingest the black boxes' data, according to former managing director of the NTSB and CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz. 'It's quite dramatic,' Goelz said. 'It looked to me like the plane was trying to land at the end. It was flaring, but we just won't know until we get the boxes back.' The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India is in possession of the recorders and other potential pieces of evidence for the investigation. The data recorders are expected to give some insight into what happened during the flight's final moments, when pilots were making critical decisions. Less than a minute after takeoff, staff on the plane gave a mayday call to air traffic control, Indian civil aviation authorities said. The deadly crash has drawn even more global attention to air safety and spurred on public anxieties about flying. There have already been several aviation tragedies and incidents this year — including January's midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet — that have prompted calls to increase safety measures. Boeing's Dreamliner Boeing's 787-8 Dreamliner is highly regarded by many aviation experts for its reliability and engineering. In the last 14 years, the fleet has carried more than 1 billion total passengers, according to Boeing. 'It truly is an amazing aeroplane, and when they engineered it, it was completely off the normal production line of what Boeing usually creates,' said Erika Armstrong, a pilot and director of marketing at Advanced Aircrew Academy. For years, the company has drawn increasing scrutiny for crashes involving its planes, leading to the 20-month grounding of its MAX aircraft following two deadly crashes, quality concerns and financial woes. Golez said the tragedy 'couldn't happen at a worse time for Boeing', which is part of the investigation along with GE Aerospace, the engine manufacturer for the plane. In the United States, the plane maker will be in the hot seat at the end of the month, when investigators are set to determine the probable cause of an in-flight separation of a mid-exit door plug on a Boeing 737-9 commercial plane near Portland, Oregon, last year. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has also reportedly cancelled plans to attend the Paris Air Show, a major aviation industry event where the company typically shows off its aircraft. 'This accident is a further challenge,' Goelz said. The Dreamliner is popular for international routes, with the 787-8 configuration fitting up to 248 passengers, according to Boeing. What happens next The NTSB said on Friday that investigators expect to be in India within the next few days. Jeff Guzzetti, president of consulting firm Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery and former NTSB official, said these investigations typically hold an 'organisational meeting' where all of the technical experts will gather, recalling his own experience with accidents. 'They will form speciality groups' assigned to analyse different areas, such as the engines or the flight data recorder, he said. 'They'll put representatives from the different organisations on these groups, and they will begin to methodically document the wreckage and download the recorders.' The crash falls under the jurisdiction of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations agency that helps 193 countries work together in air travel. Guzzetti said the investigation is in its fact-finding phase, which includes wreckage clean up and interviews of those who trained the pilots. The captain and first officer's background will be looked at, he said, which could range from how much sleep they got to what their flight record was like.
