Originally Posted by
slacktide
Startle factor does not last a minute and fifteen seconds.
Second dumbest statement I've seen this week. (Apologies for the harsh tone, I'm just done with superheroes who fail to understand cognitive impairment at times of unexpected and excessive stressors.)
For all you freaking hero pilots out there who would have just flown the effing airplane away from the troubles:
I wrote, probably a week ago now, of my own experience, as an eminently qualified, level-headed and relatively "calm when the crap hits the fan" type. For the heroes here who cannot understand cognitive stress-induced impairment I suggest you go back and read it- you might learn something.
You (yes you guys and all of us) simply cannot predict the cognitive impairment you will suffer (and we all suffer some form of it- unless one of us is God, in which case hallelujah!!) when the **** really really hits the fan. You cannot simulate this in a simulator, and most of you who have had to deal with emergencies of one form or another have also never dealt with it.
It is what happens when a big neon sign lights up your entire brain at once, screaming "YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!!" The fact that you might be able to overcome that knowledge will still not dampen your body's reaction to that realization, and you will, as a result, function at a fraction of your normal rate.
I know most of you- even the ones sympathetic to this reality, are certain you won't fade for even a moment, that your professional work and pride will keep you from ever experiencing such a complete disconnect from events.
I'm here to tell you that you are wrong.
No one will ever accurately depict what happened in either of those two cockpits. An audio tape reveals nothing of what is going on inside the minds of those four pilots. People pontificating here about their personal traits would be well-advised to consider that fact, and the one that says they are equally as likely, independent of their training, to suffer cognitive impairment when faced with a similar circumstance.
Regards, sorry for the rant-
dce