How to Handle Aviation Tragedies

It’s the most dreaded thought and experience - a plane crash. Not just in the aviation community but the entire country and sometimes world takes a pause.

Today, let’s focus on what taking a pause can mean and how we can best cope with these tragedies.

I wanted to share about this after decades of “navigating” this myself and plenty of what I deem as mis steps, both by well intentioned friends And my own faux pas of handling situations. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes. Know better, do better.

I am a bit of an aviation and plane crash geek in that I have read every book, watched every movie and studied many previous aviation disasters. For years “Flight” has fascinated me as I watch planes fly over and wonder about the “souls on board” - who are they, why? Where? Thoughts, emotions? I always ponder this more after a crash. Maybe you do too.

Where we are today requires A little common sense. We don’t want to make the mistake of “overshooting the approach” and land in our own ditch of looking foolish and adding more anxiety to a tense situation.

Every time I hear a “breaking report” I think to myself. Probably 50/50 accurate at best. And, now as time has passes, this is proving to be true.

Let’s start with the obvious - the Jan 29 crash of the AA regional partner and the Black Hawk Helicopter. Reagan airport is its own interesting mess with all of the logistics, that’s been known for years. I’m not a pilot so I’m not going to say more than that. I’m simply stating what I’ve heard discussed in aviation for decades.

Where do we even begin to focus? Was it our airline? Where is my aviation partner? Where are my aviation friends? How do I get the facts.

Like most, I remember the unfolding of 911 like it was yesterday. Long before gave up the news and TV, I always said - if something important happens.

Early on that Phoenix morning, my phone rang with a close friend asking if I was watching the news (she knew I was not) and where was Mark.

I didn’t initially know - and this was before cell phones were common. I knew he was on the ground in ICT within 30 minutes, but even he didn’t know much, just what came across the “tele type” machine in the cockpit - get on the ground in Wichita now. He Was headed from Tulsa to LAX

Today - News, social media, X, podcasts, Youtube

Everyone wants to be “first to report and  speculate - no one needs this

Mark's rules - We weren’t there, don’t know conditions that can’t be seen, condition of pilot health in the moment, not chronic, weather conditions? All questions.

Can we ever truly know EVERYTHING? What might get missed?

When is it just an unavoidable act of God?

Delta 191 8/2/85 microburst - those water towers

United Airlines 232 Sioux City

USAirways 1549 bird strike Hudson miracle

Meeting the widow of the captain at a personal growth event changed a lot for me

Crew fatigue, commuting, previous failed check rides, pilot error.

I see her face every time something occurs

How can the public can be supportive?

First, don’t speculate, don’t contact to “check” right away unless you are 1 degree close - 911 and dawn.

Mark and mark Ulmer mci

The current drama - “training flight” assumptions, was it DEI, less than 1 week change of guard. Pete hegseth is a drunk. TSA head replaced. The finger pointing is out of control on both sides.

Stop, pause and use your critical thinking skills, outside of politics. Any logical thinking person knows that none of this was caused by a change in administrations in under a week. Seriously, no matter how you feel about any thing going on, this is just simply common sense.

NTSB jennifer Homendy handled it best when asked about the WH admin and other speculation: “

With all due respect, I think the press also likes to state what probable cause is before we get to the probable cause,’ she said. ‘So what I’m going to say is you need to give us time.’

We should all remember this. Nothing unveils the truth like time. Putting together a puzzle.

TW 800 Long Island - book, documentary, hangars full of pieces. History .com

Remember a documentary is always slanted to the view the creators want you to believe. So are news reports and social media accounts.

As I record this, rescuers are just beginning the task of retrieving airplane and helicopter parts from the river.

Sadly, this was followed by the medical jet crash on January 31 in PHL. Appears that less than a minute after take off. The black box has just been recovered.

I always ask myself - will we ever truly know everything about a crash? Do black boxes, tower/aircraft communications, eye witness reports and phone videos tell us everything?

Why are we so quick to demand to know WHY, WHAT and more? IS there one simple answer? How often are there several factors that all converge together on a collision course?

I don’t know. I often believe this to be true. But I don’t know. And neither do you, honestly.

Time will reveal more.

Let’s all take a pause. Beautiful lives have been ended, family and friends are grieving. Cities and locals are grieving. Witnesses can not unsee tragedy that they are innocent victims of.

Trust is altered, beliefs are altered, fears are heightened.

My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. And the aviation community who always grieves these horrendous accidents. I include myself as an aviation geek when I say the public often has an infatuation of sorts with these events.

Time heals, we recover. We get back in the saddle and board the airplane again. We send our partners and spouses off to fly the friendly skies, hopefully holding a little more steadfast to the things that truly matter in life.

We hug a little longer. a little harder, a little more meaningful.

Thank you for being here today and making it this far. I really truly appreciate you.

Blue skies and tailwinds, until we meet here again.

I’m Jackie Ulmer, your co-pilot on the pilot wife podcast.

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