It is good to be patriotic and to do everything possible to defend and protect our national carrier Kenya Airways from her many enemies. However there are limits here where my conscience will not allow me to look the other way just for national pride. Especially where human lives are involved.
My personal opinion is that it is better for us to expose weaknesses even if this endangers our national carrier in the eyes of the world, because human life is just too precious.
There are some extremely disturbing reports that have reached me concerning some of the crew members of Flight KQ 507 which I will not reveal here in full because I am yet to verify them. But the reason why it is disturbing is that I had received similar earlier reports (before the Cameroon crash) which I patriotically ignored.
It is an open secret amongst industry insiders that worldwide many pilots have a problem with alcoholism and cannot stay away from the bottle despite the clear and very strict rules about alcohol and flying that are in place.
Let me just say at this point that the accident investigators at Douala will need to dig deeply into this area and uncover any stinking skeletons in the closet that there may be.
But one question the KQ administration needs to answer is whether regular breathalyzer tests are usually carried out on flight crews. My information has it that this is not the case and they may be afraid to upset the powerful pilot’s union because one figure has it that over 50 per cent of the pilots who are members of the union are alcoholics. This does not mean that they necessarily fly under the influence. However we all know the nature of alcoholism, I mean this thing is recognized medically as a disease. Can one control a disease with their will power?
Newspapers in the United States have reported a total of 13 incidents of alcohol violations involving 17 pilots in recent times. All but two of the incidents occurred between January 2002 and June 2006. The vast majority (85 per cent of the incidents) were first identified by airport personnel, such as security screeners, based on suspicion of alcohol use by the pilot. Subsequent alcohol testing confirmed the same. Of the 17 pilots, 6 were prosecuted criminally, including 5 who were sentenced to jail terms. Bear in mind that there is no way that they would have caught every guilty person.
In the 1980s I had a number of friends working with Kenya Airways and they would regularly tell me harrowing tales of pilots drunk on the job. Of course a lot may have changed since then.
One important thing we need to know is that pilots are rarely put to the test because modern flying, with technologies like fly by wire, is such that a lot of the flying is done by a computer and the pilot only supervises things. But when on rare occasions something goes wrong and a pilot is faced into split second decisions, every decision they make is a critical one in deciding whether people will live or die. It is of absolute importance that these decisions are made when one is fully alert. Let there be no cover-up in the accident investigations of Flight KQ 507.
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Excuse me, but this is utter speculation and compelte nonsense. If you have something to say, say it. But don't come here and say you know but that you can't say why you know.
ReplyDeleteBy speculating like this you attack the crew's memory, their families and friends without giving us the proof of your statements. This is the worst kind of journalism, and you are too good to write gibberish like this. Please.
I have received information from various sources, I have held most of it back and published an analytical piece instead without mentioning names until I can verify the info. I think this is fair.
ReplyDeleteThis blog has a reputation for discussing ALL issues openly and we intend to retain this policy.
Everybody knows a number of pilots are alcoholics and serious womanisers. You sound defensive. Are you a pilot?
-Kumekucha-
No, I am not a pilot at all. But there are emotions here to consider, and even though your sources are good, we cannot check them yet. If they by chance prove to be faulty, the pilots of the have unecesarily been put into a very bad light, but lots of people will only remember the rumour about the drunk pilots.
ReplyDeleteIf you have reliable sources, tell us. If not, wait till you can.
Chris:
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, majority of Kenyan men with huge social responsibilities are drunkards and womanisers--it seems to get worse with the acquisition of better jobs and more wealth. But then again, this is not exclusive to Kenyan men.
On its relation to the KQ crash, I wouldn't rush to make any conclusions. Sometimes, freak accidents do happen even to the best of us. That said, I am considering dating an American pilot and I wonder if I should maybe reconsider--hmm, food for thought.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThere are many people in the world that take alcohol but that does not mean they alcoholics or irresponsible drinkers. Those of us who take one or two know when to take them and are sufficiently responsible to know when to stop - even when we have to drive. You suggestion in this article is that merely because KQ pilots drink they go to work drunk and this could have been the reason for the crash.
Frankly in this one case, you are way off the mark. I know KQ pilots and have had drinks with them. I have seen them decline a drink on account of a forthcoming trip within 12 hours which is the latest time one should have had any form of alcohol before a flight. Pilots are not your kawaida matatu drivers without responsibility - they are educated contrary to your pitch in this article.
This post raises one salient point that scars ournational health, alcoholism. As to whether that is what caused the KQ crash I can't tell and Chris must onlyy be hypothizing, which is within his rights.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to attach a lot of premium to alocohol at the expense of more important things in life. One's social status is measured not by what he does but which friends he keeps in which drinking joints. Sometimes it degenrates to the absurd levels of brand comparison.
Pilots are very vulnerable alcoholics given the stressful nature of their job. But that said they can bake their cake annd eat it. And we cannot look the other side by ignoring their propensity to abuse alcohol.
Behinde every rumour lurks traces of truth. Last year's Marsabit crash had pilot's acoholism attached to it and this maybe no exception. These chaps over indulge and they conviniently refuse drinks from buddies to create a false impression of discipline. As Prof. Ndetei and he will authoritatively tell you that we have a national catastrophe waiting tohappen in the name of alcoholism.
In europe and in particular UK, the captain's breath gets checked to detect whether he meets the minimal stds required. In kenya, the captain is the boss.
ReplyDeleteMy dad died of a car accident and b4 his burrial we were criticising his irresponsibility. Some young people learnt a lesson from this freak accident and were later in life careful about the way they drive.
Chris, bring it on without fear or favour.
Let the faint hearted throw insults and live in fear of taking criticism. But death is here with us and while the others must go, the rest must learn from the causes of death.
Chris, can you just respect the emotions of people affected by this tragedy. You will not make a star by reporting this rubbish. Rumours et al. Be a responsible journalist.
ReplyDeleteIt was an accident that has been explained. Weather.
It is a shame!!!
"I have received information from various sources, I have held most of it back and published an analytical piece instead without mentioning names until I can verify the info. I think this is fair."
ReplyDeleteChris.... analytical and held back..... you came out and said alcohol was to blame in so many words. You should have saved yourself the risk of Carpal Tunnel and just put it in short.... "you thought the accident was caused by alcoholism".... anyway, please back up your info. or the lack of it because this blog is international and criticism like this, goes a long way in harming our economy which is already in trouble as we speak. Please have solid proof before you put such insinuations on this spot. Cheers
Why do i strongly feel that comments in this blog comes from the same person..the style and tone sounds the same...just being inquisitive.
ReplyDelete