How to Behave in a Plane Crash
I just watched Bill O’Reilly “interview” one of the survivors of the US Airways crash on Fox. I am reluctant to use the word interview since that would imply asking a question and then listening to the answer before talking again. But let’s put that aside for now.
Like most people, O’Reilly was absolutely convinced that there must have been panic and mayhem aboard the flight. He repeatedly questioned the survivor, a man who had barely dried off from a crash landing in the Hudson several hours before, about whether people were screaming and pushing on the plane. When the man explained that no, people had been generally calm and helpful, O’Reilly was amazed. He asked again and again why people had not become violent and hysterical, until the survivor agreed it was shocking indeed.
The truth is, in almost every disaster I have studied, people treat each other with kindness and respect. Violence and panic are extremely rare. An instant camraderie springs up between strangers—on a sinking ship or a bombed-out subway car. That is the rule, not the exception.
After the terrorist bombings on the London transit system on July 7, 2005, which killed 52 people and wounded hundreds, some victims actually resisted leaving the tube station. “I needed the [others] for comfort,” one survivor explained to U.K. psychologist John Drury. “I felt better knowing that I was surrounded by people.”
One study of U.S. mining disasters found that miners tended to follow their groups even if they disagreed with the group’s decisions. Grown men trapped underground would rather make a potentially fatal decision than be left alone.
In other airplane crashes, passengers have risked their lives because they climbed over seats to regroup with the rest of their family before evacuating. In skyscraper fires, people making arduous journeys down hundreds of stairs will tend to insist that those entering the stairwell from lower floors go ahead of them. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a 9/11 survivor who didn’t help or receive help from a stranger on the way out of the towers.
Why don’t we turn into raving maniacs? Because it is in our interest to be nice to each other. Under threat, we need each other more than ever.
MMcHugh said on January 16, 2009 at 11:16 am
You simply hate Bill O’Reilly. It has nothing to do with what he said or did you just simply hate him. I thought that was a regular interview, no big deal, nothing unusual. His comment about panic was mentioned by others as well. In fact, I heard a commentator this morning saying the same thing, they were surprised at the lack of panic. (ABC or NBC, can’t recall). You’re right, you do think the unthinkable….you’re out of touch.
MMcHugh said on January 16, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Here, from Jim Lehrer on PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/transportation/jan-june09/planecrash_01-15.html
“JIM LEHRER: Was it also remarkable that there was no—apparently no panic on that plane once it hit?”
I watched his interview as well, he was surprised!
Like I said, you simply hate Bill O’Reilly. Admit it, you are prejudiced.
CZava said on January 16, 2009 at 1:01 pm
She mentioned O’Reily’s tendency to ask questions and not wait for the answer. He talks over people, doesn’t converse. Reactive, aren’t we?
Ed Beakley said on January 16, 2009 at 1:37 pm
O’reilly is O’Reilly. What he reflects is that most people would probably expect panic. Bill like most folks needs to read Amanda’s book to understand better the spectrum of human response under severe stress.
Two key points:
One, we should all take heart (and certainly with no intent to diminish the performance of the former USAF fighter pilot) because most airline pilots are well trained to deal with this type situation. “Emergency Proceedures” for professional aviators is daily part and parcel of “being professional” in an environment that must be considered always one step from being non user friendly.
Two, the story not told yet is that of the crew. One “paniker” and who knows what happens. I suspect the crew training and performance is a MAJOR factor here.
Fly Navy
Ed @ Project White Horse
http://www.projectwhitehorse.com
Lucy Edwards said on January 16, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I echo Ed. Training, professional experience. As a coordinator of citizen responders (http://www.ashlandcert.org) I was thrilled to hear yet another story of SURVIVAL. The crew knew what to do, and so did ordinary people. I know the hero talk is awkward for the pilot, but we hold a tremendous respect and admiration for effective leadership in crisis. And I am also grateful to Amanda Ripley for being so articulate and compelling a storyteller about how ordinary people survive. Great book! Lucy Edwards, Ashland CERT, Ashland, Oregon
Z Leifson said on January 16, 2009 at 3:38 pm
She wasn’t attacking O’Reilly, she was just using his “interview” as an example of what we would all assume in a crash. O’Reilly isn’t an idiot for assuming that people would act selfishly, it is safe to say that most of us would assume that. She was only using him as an example. Relax McHugh/O’Reilly fan. Your reporter is safe. Get in touch.
Patrica Hutchings said on January 18, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Isnt it amazing some would wish for people to panic in survival situations! The Pilot and crew deserve the highest awards available.
The only area not mentioned yet, is the fact that a plane nearly came down in New York. As a Londoner, I know the feeling that would have rushed around NY. I wonder if the Therapists of that area will see an increase in work load due to 9/11 relapses.
Noggin. said on January 20, 2009 at 11:11 pm
O’Reilly was looking for a scoop and got rejected based of the results. If he did his homework he’d find the above evidence to be consistent so before we start pointing fingers at the author here, know that the guy’s about as useful to journalism as the paparazzi.
Just because we are entertained, doesn’t make it right.
FOX News is what would happen if Paris Hilton became CEO of a news corporation.
Upton Rehnberg said on January 21, 2009 at 4:14 pm
When United Flight 232 crashed on July 19, 1989, the passengers rode through a cartwheel in a fireball and the breakup of the DC-10 before attempting to leave the plane wreckage.. The people I saw (and helped) get out of the wrecked plane were not panicky, were not climbing over one another or pushing others. Why do people refuse to accept the truth from people who were there?
Mike said on January 31, 2009 at 6:19 am
There is an interesting audio article from years back on This American Life. Some of the interviews with passengers on a airline in an emergency landing were very insightful.
http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/player/CPRadio_player.php?podcast=http://www.thisamericanlife.org/xmlfeeds/299.xml&proxyloc=http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/player/customproxy.php
Bill Bell said on February 01, 2009 at 5:49 pm
A friend told me she heard that a passenger opened a door in the tail section against the instructions of a stewardess, and that caused water to enter the plane. Why wouldn’t a crew member simply tell passengers that tail door would be locked for safety and safe passage was forward, out on a wing?
Lorien said on February 02, 2009 at 10:33 am
Gee, I think the point of saying “interview” was simply that going into an interview as a journalist means you 1) allow the person to answer questions 2)limit your preconceived ideas in order to listen to the answers.