Mar 28 2009
Praying Pilot Convicted
In my humble opinion, ten years isn’t long enough.
PALERMO (Reuters) – A Tunisian pilot who paused to pray instead of taking emergency measures before crash-landing his plane, killing 16 people, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail by an Italian court along with his co-pilot.
The 2005 crash at sea off Sicily left survivors swimming for their lives, some clinging to a piece of the fuselage that remained floating after the ATR turbo-prop aircraft splintered upon impact.
A fuel-gauge malfunction was partly to blame but prosecutors also said the pilot succumbed to panic, praying out loud instead of following emergency procedures and then opting to crash-land the plane instead trying to reach a nearby airport.
Full story here.
I am not a religious person myself. In fact, I don’t believe in a higher power in the traditional sense, meaning that I do not believe in deities as they are laid out in traditional religions. That being said, I am very tolerant of the religious and spiritual beliefs of others. However, I find it difficult to be tolerant when one person’s beliefs infringe on the rights and safety of others.
Prayer provides comfort in times of stress; that I understand. What I have difficulty comprehending is how a trained pilot could choose prayer over action at such a critical point. In lieu of emergency procedures that could very well have saved the lives of his passengers, he chose to pause and pray.
Sixteen people lost their lives. They are gone, their hopes and dreams snuffed out forever. Their families ripped apart, and why? All because some religious zealot decided that prayer was preferable to preparation.
Is ten years in prison sufficient punishment for the loss of sixteen lives? I don’t think so. If it makes you feel better, then by all means, pray. But please, don’t do so when your action, or inaction, puts the lives of others in danger.
