Distraction
November 2, 2009
Last week we heard about the two pilots from Northwest Airlines who simply forgot to land in Minneapolis. They overshot their destination by 150 miles. It is not exactly clear as to what happened and why they maintained radio silence for an hour and a half not responding to radio calls from ground control. National Guards planes were ready to take off to intercept the airplane should it be a hijacking. When finally one of the pilots radioed ground controlled he said: “We got distracted.”
There were a number of rumors has to what happened. Some reports claimed that the pilot and co-pilot were in a heated argument, others reports claimed that both were sound asleep. Neither one of these explanations is reassuring for travelers! The explanation the pilots gave the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is that both pilots has lost tract of time while discussing new flight schedules. (Time did fly!).” Northwest suspended both pilots and then the FAA revoked their licenses. It was later revealed that they both had logged on their laptops. The investigation continues, but we can safely assume that the pilots were indeed distracted, we just don’t know exactly by what.
We are all prone to distractions. Some people are more inclined to be distracted than others, such as the “absent-minded professor” type. Consequences to distraction can be insignificant or disastreous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80% of crashes are due to some form of driver distraction. Harvard University study revealed that cell phone distraction causes 200 deaths and 500,000 injuries each year.
How can we minimize distractions?
1. We have to be aware that we can all be distracted at one point or another and therefore exercise caution.
2. We should think about the possible consequences of distractions.
3. We should remember that sometimes distraction occurs not necessarily when our minds are rambling but when we think or concentrate about what is to come next instead of what is now. Thinking about the immediate future rather than the current present.
In some way we are all pilots. We may hold in our hands, in certain circumstances, the destiny of those who depend on us and who can be impacted by our distractions and their consequences. Responsibility, an important value in ethics, is the best antidote to distraction.
Christopher Columbus, a great navigator once said:
”By prevailing over all obstacle and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at the chosen goal or destination. “
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