Witnessing a Fatal accident?
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: NSW, Australia
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Currawong.
I don't take it myself, but I mentioned it as 98% of people know what it is and what's it generally used for. It works well from what I have seen of others. And can be used very effectively in cases just as this. But like you are eluding to one should inform their dame if taking any form of benzo's
I'm lucky to have my dame as my GP, so he knows everything about me fortunately/unfortunately
I don't take it myself, but I mentioned it as 98% of people know what it is and what's it generally used for. It works well from what I have seen of others. And can be used very effectively in cases just as this. But like you are eluding to one should inform their dame if taking any form of benzo's
I'm lucky to have my dame as my GP, so he knows everything about me fortunately/unfortunately
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Was second on scene when H1 was a young PPL....a young lady had been decapitated 3 or 4 times over as she walked forward from the C177, rather than rearward, and the engine was still idling.
I didn't see the moment of the accident, but I heard a funny noise, turned, and saw the body and bits fall along with the associated arterial blood spray....not very nice, strangely enough we all have our weird ways of coping, I must admit to thinking at the time...I wouldn't want to have to clean that mess up
a bit disrespectful me thinks given the passage of time.
Second incident and very much more recently, I witnessed along with my little girl the final moments of the UPS 747F as it flew very low over our house in DXB at dusk, and impacted with a "crump" and a huge fireball about a mile from where we stood at the local playground.
That I think emotionally took a while to get my head around, its not everyday you see that kind of thing.
Thankfully I've been told I'm rather pragmatic, so I can rationalize the bad stuff.
I didn't see the moment of the accident, but I heard a funny noise, turned, and saw the body and bits fall along with the associated arterial blood spray....not very nice, strangely enough we all have our weird ways of coping, I must admit to thinking at the time...I wouldn't want to have to clean that mess up
a bit disrespectful me thinks given the passage of time.Second incident and very much more recently, I witnessed along with my little girl the final moments of the UPS 747F as it flew very low over our house in DXB at dusk, and impacted with a "crump" and a huge fireball about a mile from where we stood at the local playground.
That I think emotionally took a while to get my head around, its not everyday you see that kind of thing.
Thankfully I've been told I'm rather pragmatic, so I can rationalize the bad stuff.
Last edited by haughtney1; 27th Oct 2013 at 09:39.
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never seen a fatal air crash in person, but I have witnessed fatal road accidents.
The most recent one a motorcyclist got killed. I was driving someone down the highway to an airport so I could fly them around for a little. Half of the highway was blocked off. We eventually got through after seeing bits of motorbike everywhere, and a couple of firefighters doing CPR on the rider on the nature strip. Lots of cops everywhere, very nasty. We continued our journey, had an awesome flight, and were driving back down the highway that evening, when we saw the other side was still closed up. There was a van at the crash scene, the ambos and fireys had left, and just as we drove past I saw them zipping the poor bugger up in a bag. That sure changed the mood in the car. We had had a great day but I personally couldn't even think about it, I was just really sad seeing what had happened to this other poor dude in the mean time.
I reckon if someone sees a fatal accident up close, or the aftermath, and they say it doesn't affect them, they're either an emergency worker or they're probably lying. It's only normal to be upset or stressed as a result. If anyone ever thinks they're not dealing with it too well, go talk to a GP, or a psychiatrist. I can tell you it definitely helps. It'll be the best thing you ever did. I don't see why people should be ashamed to speak to someone for help.
The most recent one a motorcyclist got killed. I was driving someone down the highway to an airport so I could fly them around for a little. Half of the highway was blocked off. We eventually got through after seeing bits of motorbike everywhere, and a couple of firefighters doing CPR on the rider on the nature strip. Lots of cops everywhere, very nasty. We continued our journey, had an awesome flight, and were driving back down the highway that evening, when we saw the other side was still closed up. There was a van at the crash scene, the ambos and fireys had left, and just as we drove past I saw them zipping the poor bugger up in a bag. That sure changed the mood in the car. We had had a great day but I personally couldn't even think about it, I was just really sad seeing what had happened to this other poor dude in the mean time.
I reckon if someone sees a fatal accident up close, or the aftermath, and they say it doesn't affect them, they're either an emergency worker or they're probably lying. It's only normal to be upset or stressed as a result. If anyone ever thinks they're not dealing with it too well, go talk to a GP, or a psychiatrist. I can tell you it definitely helps. It'll be the best thing you ever did. I don't see why people should be ashamed to speak to someone for help.
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homesick angel
I think it is important to know that others have suffered similar events and that you are not the only person who feels the pain, if not agony. As many have said, individual responses are different. I have been quite distressed over several friends' deaths, and that was only hearing about them, not seeing it happen.
Good luck/management with professional help. I think getting it out of the system and letting it go when you are ready works. Elizabeth Kubler Ross has written a few books about the five stages of dealing with death. It may help.
You may well be shown relaxation and emotional distancing/separation techniques.
I wish you well.
I think it is important to know that others have suffered similar events and that you are not the only person who feels the pain, if not agony. As many have said, individual responses are different. I have been quite distressed over several friends' deaths, and that was only hearing about them, not seeing it happen.
Good luck/management with professional help. I think getting it out of the system and letting it go when you are ready works. Elizabeth Kubler Ross has written a few books about the five stages of dealing with death. It may help.
You may well be shown relaxation and emotional distancing/separation techniques.
I wish you well.
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I've never witnessed a fatal air crash, but as a former long time volunteer in a country town SES rescue unit I've attended many fatal MVAs, where I've arrived at the scene to find the occupants of a vehicle dead, or watched them die shortly after I've arrived. I've also dredged a couple of riverbeds for deceased persons.
Other than the very first fatal prang I attended, none have really stuck with me; I certainly remember them all, but I don't find myself dwelling on them. I arrive at a prang pumped full of adrenaline in "get the job done" mode with an expectation of what I'm about to see, and don't really connect with the situation at the time. This "forewarning" probably helps.
That said, I've witnessed one air crash involving a good mate that could well have been fatal, but thankfully wasn't, where said mate hit a powerline in his ultralight and was dropped straight into the ground. He was OK in the end after a week or two in hospital, but I was pretty unsettled for several weeks afterwards. The fact I knew the bloke, and wasn't expecting to see that him crash right in front of my eyes without any real warning was what probably made the difference.
Other than the very first fatal prang I attended, none have really stuck with me; I certainly remember them all, but I don't find myself dwelling on them. I arrive at a prang pumped full of adrenaline in "get the job done" mode with an expectation of what I'm about to see, and don't really connect with the situation at the time. This "forewarning" probably helps.
That said, I've witnessed one air crash involving a good mate that could well have been fatal, but thankfully wasn't, where said mate hit a powerline in his ultralight and was dropped straight into the ground. He was OK in the end after a week or two in hospital, but I was pretty unsettled for several weeks afterwards. The fact I knew the bloke, and wasn't expecting to see that him crash right in front of my eyes without any real warning was what probably made the difference.
Last edited by bankrunner; 28th Oct 2013 at 09:41.
I have only ever witnessed two non-fatal crashes, & that was traumatic enough at the time until I knew everyone was okay. Over the 20 years I was in the aviation industry I averaged the loss of one person I knew for every year. As harrowing said - just hearing of their deaths was stressful in itself. I think the worst part of one was that I had tried to talk the person out of continuing on, knowing full well that the weather at the other end was pretty bad. He ended up flying into the side of Mt. Macedon.
DF.
DF.
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I was behind (he was no 1, we were no 3) the Turkish that went in at Schipol. As we went around, ATC asked us if we'd seen wreckage.
I was a heck of a bad feeling. Only 9 were killed, but we thought probably an entire 737 load were likely dead. Gave me the willies..
We went off to RTM, and when I explained why to the pax, you could have heard a pin drop as they trooped off.
I was a heck of a bad feeling. Only 9 were killed, but we thought probably an entire 737 load were likely dead. Gave me the willies..
We went off to RTM, and when I explained why to the pax, you could have heard a pin drop as they trooped off.
Thread Starter
Thanks again for the replies.
As the days pass, I have been feeling generally better. The first two days I just felt stunned and shocked and couldn't get the images from my mind, then the next few, incredibly tired but a bit less haunted.
I did post the thread very soon after the accident, as it is hard to just wander up to people in a non aviation world and chat to them about such things, and I did need to talk/write about it somehow , but I haven't yet felt like discussing it verbally too much, and doing it here has been helpful.
Im appreciative of the information Ive gotten here and elsewhere, because just as the next person may go through something like this in a totally different way to me, my friends and family have allowed me to do it my way (which has been to take it easy and keep things low key) without judgement.
As the days pass, I have been feeling generally better. The first two days I just felt stunned and shocked and couldn't get the images from my mind, then the next few, incredibly tired but a bit less haunted.
I did post the thread very soon after the accident, as it is hard to just wander up to people in a non aviation world and chat to them about such things, and I did need to talk/write about it somehow , but I haven't yet felt like discussing it verbally too much, and doing it here has been helpful.
Im appreciative of the information Ive gotten here and elsewhere, because just as the next person may go through something like this in a totally different way to me, my friends and family have allowed me to do it my way (which has been to take it easy and keep things low key) without judgement.
