Piers Morgans writes about Germanwings co-pilot & the plane crash | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Sunday, 29 March 2015

Piers Morgans writes about Germanwings co-pilot & the plane crash

I read this article on UK Daily Mail where Piers Morgan is an Editor-at-Large, found it interesting and thought to share. He titled it 'Depressed pilots on medication for mental illness should not be flying passenger planes. That's not insensitive - it's protecting lives. Read below...
I fly a lot. Last year alone, I travelled on 45 planes. Unlike my mother, who has a serious terror of flying, I have no qualms about it at all.
I’ve chuckled my way through violent cabin-thumping electrical storms in Hong Kong, and cheerfully slurped champagne through extreme turbulence in Texas during tornado season.To my logical Spock-like mind, it remains by far the safest way to transport myself. Statistically, you are more likely to die today being run over as you cross a road listening to your iPod than you are in a plane crash.
But two recent air-related tragedies have caused me to seriously question my sangfroid attitude.

The first was the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 a year ago.
I covered that story for the whole of my last month at CNN, and we are still no nearer having a single clue as to what happened to it.
Isn’t it just incredible that a giant, modern passenger jet could simply vanish without trace?

This at a time when scientists and spies have the power to film me right now as I write this column in my Beverly Hills garden, with satellite cameras thousands of miles up in space?
And now we have the Germanwings plane crash in France.
The facts that we already know about this horrific incident are extraordinary, and terrifying.

A co-pilot with a lengthy history of depression, on medication for his illness, and ignoring a specific doctor’s sick note for the very day he was flying, was allowed to command a plane full of 149 people.

Then, he was left in sole charge of the cockpit when the captain went to the bathroom, enabling him to lock everyone out and commit his heinous act?
And once the captain knew what was happening, he was utterly incapable of getting back into the cockpit and doing anything to stop it. Nor was anyone from the airline on the ground able to intervene, despite the fact that technology exists to enable remote automated flying.

It beggars belief, doesn’t it?

Yet to confound comprehension even further, this wasn’t some third rate airline from a third world country.
Germanwings is owned by Lufthansa, the largest airline in Europe from the most powerful, well-resourced and technologically advanced country in Europe.
Yesterday, the boss of Germanwings admitted that Lubitz had slipped through the company’s ‘safety net’ and should never have been flying.

You think??????

He shouldn’t have been anywhere near the controls of an unmanned drone, let alone a plane with 149 people on board.

Frankly, I don’t care if the co-pilot, 28-year-old Andreas Lubitz, was mad, bad or sad.
He lost any sympathy I may have had for him the moment he decided to murder 149 people by deliberately crashing his plane into a mountain.
They and their grieving families are the victims, not him.
And it could be any one of us next.

I am flying to Dallas and onto London next week, and I want some urgent reassurances from the airlines taking my money.
1) I want to know that there will always, ALWAYS, be two people in the cockpit. That is the rule in America now, and should be mandatory worldwide.
2) I want to know that if the captain is outside of the cockpit, he has a way of getting back in if there is an emergency. After all, what’s the point of a captain if he’s not in charge?
3) Most importantly, I want to know that the airlines know if either pilot has similar mental health issues to Andreas Lubitz, and whether he or she is on medication for them and ignoring doctors’ sick notes. That is their duty of care to both the passengers and the pilots.

That’s not ‘insensitive’, or ‘stigmatising’ people with depression, as some  over-sensitive lobby groups have raced to complain today.
It’s about protecting the lives of innocent people.

126 comments:

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Hummmm may d soul of d victims rest in peace Amin.

Davido's driver said...

Still remembering thhe victims.. lindaobserve

Unknown said...

a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
.
This man always makes sense but may the souls of the dead RIP...
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Unknown said...

MMR EDDY said this heat wan kill person o

Quite interesting
^
^
^™THAT EDO BOY.COM~

Anonymous said...

Wat a sad one.. nice stuff to write dere..































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TAMARA SPLASH said...

Noted

Davido's driver said...

Great piece.. I hope they look into this. Lindaobserve

Anonymous said...

Love u piers Morgan, u are so right.

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Anonymous said...

VERY GOOD POINT AND ANYONE THAT ACCUSES HIM OF BEING INSENSITIVE SHOULD ALLOW A DEPRESSED PILOT/CO-PILOT TO FLY THEM

Bonita Bislam said...

With this tragedy that has happened,i think every airline must put up emergency measures for cases of madness,demonic attacks and sudden unforseen depressions.i'm also drained of any emotion for the pilot,whether he's sane or insane.This guy clearly lived on denial.And thats so bad.Damn!

Anonymous said...

VERY GOOD POINT AND ANYONE THAT ACCUSES HIM OF BEING INSENSITIVE SHOULD ALLOW A DEPRESSED PILOT/CO-PILOT TO FLY THEM

Unknown said...

Somebody had to say that......I just cn't wrap my head around the whole crazy pilot thing.......just tragic.

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Seen

Anonymous said...

Spot on.....There are absolutely no sentiments when it comes to Doctors, Drivers, People in the force, pilots or anyone managing people's life's. An apology and money is all the families of these victims would ever get.

Your life with the help of God, is absolutely yours to protect. I hope his points are taking seriously and implemented. RIP to the victims.

Anonymous said...

Spot on.....There are absolutely no sentiments when it comes to Doctors, Drivers, People in the force, pilots or anyone managing people's life's. An apology and money is all the families of these victims would ever get.

Your life with the help of God, is absolutely yours to protect. I hope his points are taking seriously and implemented. RIP to the victims.

Unknown said...

Piers morgan can't write anything
That can interest me.

All purpose store ng 08188861083 said...

sooo true

Anonymous said...

In the aviation industry things happen for there to be improvement in the system everything is not thought out from the get -go. There is no way a cockpit door can be assessed from outside because a terrorist can convince an outside crew to open the door and go in to take controls.
Safety is everyone's job
The pilots workers company hospital family of the workers.someone should have reported

Unknown said...

Yes ooo well said

Anonymous said...

sooo true

Petite Diva said...

For the first time I agree with him. I said the same thing immediately I read the news. He should have been prevented from flying and given a desk job or should have been flying only cargo planes....

Unknown said...

I totally love this write up. . Piers has always been a favorite of mine.. I hope Nigeria follows thus.. even tho we fly in old planes n airline staff treat us shabbily after collecting huge sums of money from us just to fly an hour home... i am always so acared till we land. God help us.

Anonymous said...

Exactly......The Co pilot must be a a very wicked human being...Nigeria to should ensure that there are at least two pilots in the cockpit at all times

Unknown said...

well spoken-am OUT

knowurway.com said...

Hmmm, this guy said it all

Linda's Intern said...

Just take a moment to imagine what the world would have said if Lubitz were a black man.
They're busy trying not to be painted as being insensitive by defending the deranged pilot. That wouldn't have been the case if it were a black man. I respect Piers for this piece, though he managed to carefully avoid incorporating race in his article

F. O. said...

This man make sense. Have been waiting for words like this. With many advance technology, or is it only possible in films? People can still bid goodbye to their family while dying. Its very scary. We don't need to be a family to any of these people but they are humans not some chickens. Negligence, a lot of bad has happened in d part years. I pray this kind of folishness will end soon.
Haaa! Its sadden

Unknown said...

FACT

Eee said...

True words

Unknown said...

Well said

Unknown said...

God bless him, exactly my thoughts. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

God bless him, exactly my thoughts. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

God bless him, exactly my thoughts. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

God bless him, exactly my thoughts. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Well said

Unknown said...

I love dis, very apt and direct...... am in full support of all mr morgan has said. Am still in awe why its a top nation dis error came from // dat guy wasn't supposed to fly d plane .....

Anonymous said...

I agree with him, 100%


<< LIB addict >>

Hillz said...

Very well said! Rest in peace to the dead!

Chikata Chidinma said...

well said.Andrea became a murderer the very minute he decided to crash that plane into a mountain.may GOD grant the victims eternal rest and Grace to their families to be able to pull through this.AMEN.

Pepe said...

This piece is on point. Enough said.

lami said...

Well said, arik air should take note beacause their services is horrible .

shina said...

Well spoken. God save us from kolo pilots and drivers

Guccu said...

Amen!!! Thank you Piers Morgan For always speaking the truth!!

demmy said...

Very good write up,I hope these precautions are also taken in Nigeria,God help us!

Anonymous said...

This is so true. I agree with you Piers Morgan, because it is so scary to know that a pilot can end your life with his because he is depressed.

Babylawyer. said...

Well spoken.

BLAQ said...

true

Chikaka said...

He has a point, however, a nut case or a lone wolf will always slip through the net. I don't know how but they have a way of been ahead of the game. It's a sociopathic/psychopathic trait to always be ahead of the game and seem normal. Very sad.

Last week Europeans airlines said they will start having 2 pilots in the cockpit all the time.

Unknown said...

Article on fleek!

Nikeh El' said...

I totally agree with him

Unknown said...

Well spoken. At least he's spoken sense now unlike he usually does in Arsenal related issues

@UmehOma

ary said...

When the plane crashed and fingers started to point to the co-pilot, I wrote it here that y'all should expect the "mental illness" excuse and viola!!! That is not the point, the point is this: it is not inconceivable to think that all white people are mad and 2. I don't believe a word of the people at Germanwings! Like P.M said, if the people on the ground knew the co-pilot had taken control of the plane, they could have seized control from the ground. And didn't there use to be 3 people in the cock pit?!

Anonymous said...

Gbamest! Period!!!

Anonymous said...

Gbam.That's one reason i love this guy. Always frank , no matter how painful.

Gbogbo Bigz girlz (GBG) said...

True talk.

Unknown said...

Well said jare Piers Morgan

kay said...

Thumbs up

Eagle Eyes Media said...

Read this article earlier mid last week. I agree with Piers. Depression should have led him at worst to commit suicide and never mass murder.

Miracle Onuoha said...

I concur

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Piers, All in all, only God can save us from the ever changing antics of the devil to take away more lives.

Anonymous said...

You asshole,I'll ignore this paragraph "Yet to confound comprehension even further, this wasn’t some third rate airline from a third world country." and continue reading but noting it anyway

Unknown said...

I AGRRED WITH EVERYTHING PIERS MORGAN SAID IN THIS WRITE UP.....EXCEPT HIS 2ND POINT..............WHAT IF THE CAPTAIN IS THE ONE WHO WANTS TO KILL EVERYBODY ON THE PLAIN? IF YOU GIVE THE CAPTAIN AN OVER-RIDING PASSWORD TO ALWAYS BE ABLE TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. THAT MAKES THE CAPTAIN A DANGER AND A TARGET.

ONLY GOD CAN GRANT US JOURNEY MERCY ........

Juleslouis said...

Its just so sad how a tragedy like this can easily befall a developed country like that. But it shows we r still human! *phew*

Unknown said...

May God watch over us all.


OKORO UPGRADED**

Anonymous said...

Yet to confound comprehension even further, this wasn’t some third rate airline from a third world country......oouch! That hurt.

Anonymous said...

This doctor confidentiality thingy should not apply in all cases please! If the pilot's health state had been made known to the airline, this tragedy would have been averted! Please advocate more on this issue Piers and it is not by any means a stigmatisation of people with depression! I will be surprise if anyone finds this offensive.

BrendaN

Anna said...

Well said.

Subomi said...

read the beginning and end, make sense, I don't think there is anything in place to check pilots before they board a plane with over a hundred lives in their care, so this should change

Unknown said...

Am not interested to read abt d soul dat sent hundred's of souls to their untimely deaths while he took one way ticket to hell.

Unknown said...

Dude Morgan has spoken well TODAY.

Unknown said...

it's so heartrending... God please help us and guide our ways. I wish they survived the crash. The plans of that evil Lubitz should Hv bn truncated By God or at least the people in charge.

Anonymous said...

Forget patient doctor confidentiality for this matter abeg and doctors should tell the companies of people like pilots if the guy is il unstable. At least tell the police.

Unknown said...

Good points raised. One can never be too careful.



#TeamBlessed#

Unknown said...

Word! He wrote well. I am so in support of someone having the key to the cockpit should incase it's jammed and what not!
I feel for the pilot's family, because I can tell you they will be stigmatized as hell!

May the souls of the departed Rest in Paradise!

Seu said...

All pilots must go thru quarterly mental checkups...for the sake of the flying publics.

Unknown said...

That fool said it that he is going to change the way things work

Unknown said...

it's so heartrending... God please help us and guide our ways. I wish they survived the crash. The plans of that evil Lubitz should Hv bn truncated By God or at least the people in charge.

Anonymous said...

Very insightful, I also will be needing dat. Kindd of assurance from airlines in Nigeria too. Butter.

Unknown said...

Hmmmmmmm. I wonder wat those 149 people will do to the pilot wen they get to the land of the dead, dats if they see anyway who knows?? I neva die b4 lol

Anonymous said...

"Let two people always be in the cockpit" Nigeria airways should also take note of that. #isabella_nice

Unknown said...

i think what happened was a terrorist attack, these white punks need to label their own terrorists. If the pilot was Muslim, will they say he was mentally ill? Anyway I agree with him 500% ,mental evaluation is a must and 2 people must always be in the cockpit.

Anonymous said...

Straight to the point! Fantastic question dat begs for an answer!

Anonymous said...

Thought provoking article

Anonymous said...

I worry about this very much. If this could happen in a technologically advanced country like Germany what about a country like Nigeria where authorities are at best careless and incompetent? May God help us and protect us all

Unknown said...

Always on point Piers

Anonymous said...

Totally in agreement.theres nothing insensitive about it.in short anyone with a mental illness or deemed unstable after medical evaluation should go throw a battalion of pschychological analysis before being allowed into a cockpit and I'm all for the 2 man cockpit rule to be enforced worldwide and a host of other safety measures like a remote override from the control tower because u hardly hear of anyone walking away from a plane crash usually very disastrous..

Flakiedudu said...

Well said Piers!

Flakiedudu said...

Well said Piers!

Anonymous said...

Well said!!!!!

seun said...

I fly too and I think his reasoning is sound and right. Rip to d dead,

Anonymous said...

Good point BUT I take exception to this your statement: Yet to confound comprehension even further, this wasn’t some third rate airline from a third world country. Good you know that all your technology can fail you even some of your so called protection rights. Wtf. I need o now altitude or long flying hours affect this pilots cos two pilots I know with a popular airline in naija on international routes are prone to outbursts, tantrum and domestic violence yet they still fly. An unstable pilot is disaster waiting to happen. Now, I look @ the pilots one kain. Na waaa. Captains, remember that life is sacrosanct. In God I trust!!! KYLA

seun said...

I fly too and I think his reasoning is sound and right. Rip to d dead,

Unknown said...

Honestly it's about protecting the lives of innocent people and not stigmatization of depressed people. The American system of two pilots in the cockpit should be a world or global standard. The 9/11 became a learning point for America. My sympathy go to d grieving families .

Olamide said...

true talk

Anonymous said...

Well said PM! Why follow the rule of "Patients' Confidentiality" when the patients' job is so sensitive i.e. flying a plane!!! I need reassurances ooo...i dey travel tomorrow.

APPLE said...

In-fact that shit is so scary, Imagine flying with a mad pilot? *shivers*

Anonymous said...

Agreed!

Anonymous said...

Thank you piers!!

Unknown said...

Well said

Unknown said...

Reasonable article

Anonymous said...

I agree cos it could have BN avoided

Temipearl said...

Good write up Piers

mandi said...

Are you cooking with the comments but should be done by now even if with charcoal. Kilode

Unknown said...

Spot on! couldn't have said it any better. well done Piers!!

Unknown said...

Well written, am beginning to have a phobia for flying with all this planes disappering, or being shot down from the sky

Anonymous said...

Na wao o Linda, what can the son of man say again over this issue. My condolence goes to the families that lost their loved ones.

Anonymous said...

really don't know how I feel about that 3rd world country comment.

Unknown said...

Well said, may God comfort the families of those that lost their lives

Roxanna said...

gbam,just said wats on my mind

Unknown said...

I LEARNT A NEW WORD TODAY 'SANGFROID'. GO PIERS

Anonymous said...

One word that is missing in the Germanwings crash is "terrorism". Had Andreas Lubitz been of Arab descent, that is the term we will be hearing. Remember the case of the Egyptair?
So let's call a spade what it is, this guy is not depressed as that will imply no responsibility of his action. He knowingly and deliberately killed innocent people just to become popular as his former girlfriend averred.

Anonymous said...

I wish there was a love icon to click on......well said and spot on. Really careless from d airline. And I think the Dr's should have given this information to his work place given dat a man man can't walk up to his boss to report that he is mad!

Unknown said...

Well said piers I pay for safety and every other goodies dat comes with flying God help me and my family and those traveling on air its really not fair to kill people who didn't ask for it or didn't commit any crime

mz dre said...

I swear e mk sense die.....

yawanow said...

Couldn't agree more

Anonymous said...

I thought they said the airline knew nothing about his illness. Did they know and still employed him?

tayo said...

well said.....kudos

Anonymous said...

The names of pilots should be published 24hrs before take off with a brief history

Anonymous said...

The names of pilots should be published 24hrs before take off with a brief history

Anonymous said...

The names of pilots should be published 24hrs before take off with a brief history

Anonymous said...

well sad my brother... may God continue to protect us from crazy people.

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MY TURN said...

Most sense piers made in recent times.

Unknown said...

word

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