I end this week on a heartbreaking note. Two nights ago (Wednesday, January 29), American Airlines flight #5342 from Wichita, KS, collided midair with a helicopter at Washington Reagan Airport (DCA). Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River. There appear to be no survivors.
Seneca said, "Change only the name, and this story is about you."
My mom has been an American Airlines flight attendant for 40 years. I grew up on American Airlines flights just like this. The American Airlines family has been our shared family. The teams working check-in and gates are our friends. The crews are our close friends. The passengers, though strangers, are our companions.
Just last week, I was in Southern California with my mom, celebrating her brother, who died in December of pancreatic cancer. We shared, along with a retired American Airlines pilot, dozens of stories from our travel experiences. When you fly a lot, you experience a lot. Fun and hilarious stories. Wild and weird stories you would never believe happened on an airplane. And scary stories, too.
I've spent more time on American Airlines regional flights than any other airline—over 1,000 such flights in my lifetime. There have been a few near misses, late maneuvers, and one emergency landing, but I've always made it home.
Next week, I fly to DCA on American Airlines. Same airline. Same airport. Same regional jet. Same flight path.
I don't think I knew any of the passengers or crew on AA #5342 or the helicopter it hit, but it sure feels like I do. Like Seneca said, "Change only the name, and this story is about you."
Event + Response = Outcome. Do the work.
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