Scapegoat: A Flight Crew's Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption

by Emilio Corsetti III

The passengers looked to the flight attendants for guidance as to what to expect next. Hoot’s brief announcement did little to allay their fears. He hadn’t said anything about what had happened. He hadn’t said anything about where they might be diverting to or how long it might be before they landed. He hadn’t said anything about the condition of the plane or given any reassurances that they would land safely. In Hoot’s defense, he didn’t know what the condition of the plane was other than that it was difficult to control. As for Scott and Gary, they were occupied with running emergency checklists. Still, the lack of communication from the crew about what was happening would be cited later by passengers filing lawsuits as a contributing factor to their anxiety and emotional distress.