This week’s Zeros are the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their intended destination of Minneapolis BY 150 MILES! They were out of contact with air traffic control for more than an hour, and didn’t realize they had entered WISCONSIN until a flight attendant asked them what time they would be landing.
The pilots deny falling asleep in the cockpit, and now say they were on their laptop computers, reviewing pilot schedules after the merger with Delta airlines. Here’s a question….is this really the best time to be quibbling with scheduling when you have the lives of dozens of passengers in your hands? Contrast that with the professionalism of Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully landed his plane on the Hudson River last year. Sullenberger has been described as boring, with a sometimes irritating attention to detail. But it’s that kind of demeanor that saved the day when Sullenberger’s plane hit a flock of birds. I was reminded of this because Sullenberger appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show last night, promoting his new book. He was actually pretty funny. What would have happened if the Northwest pilots had encountered some sudden emergency. They would have had to snap shut their laptops, with no idea where they were. It’s a little frightening to think about. The lesson here, pay attention to your job, even when you think no one is looking.
This week’s Hero is Angela Montez. Don’t recognize the name? She’s the woman in Indianapolis who while being robbed, stopped to pray with her assailant. This story was quickly deemed the “Praying Robber” story. Here’s how NBC News reported the story when it happened.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw85j8Ht08g
The alleged robber, Greg Smith, turned himself in the next day. Here’s a follow-up story by a TV station in Indianapolis where he hear from Smith and the victim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU27va0kSfE
Greg Smith, even appeared on the Oprah story Friday (via satellite from jail) and apologized to Montez. Smith broke down in tears, and said he had always been a firm believer in God and Christ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oY3Y7b7d0U
Talk about grace under pressure, Montez actually tried to help this man as she was looking down a loaded gun. Look around you, people can do the most amazing and unexpected things. Greatness may be just a few feet away.
Thanks for reading, and watching
Kelli Saam
