As discussions unfold regarding the accountability and transparency of aviation accidents, we explore the public’s right to know and the impact of these events on victims’ families. We weigh the complexities of responsibility, the role of DEI concerns, and the importance of preventing future tragedies while maintaining compassion for those who serve and protect in the skies.
what a weekend huh holy moly i mean starting with friday and here we go again with another aviation disaster and this horrific horrific crash in philly then you had a plane catch on fire in houston what in the actual heck is going on i know what all of us we go all these years without anything happening and then all of us and they say it happens in threes Which, for those of us who fly a lot, that’s good news. You don’t want to be after number two. Stay home. Don’t drive. Just take the stagecoach. I mean, just awful. And did you see the video of that Lear jet, that medical jet? It looked like a missile. It looked like a missile. Straight down. Straight down. Planes don’t usually do that. Something bad happened. So let’s rewind and go to the crash over the Potomac because this thing has gotten ugly. And, you know, the family of the apparent female pilot didn’t want her identity released. The military said, well, we’re not going to release her identity. I thought, well, you can’t pull that off. What are you talking about? Exactly right. Big problem. You can’t get away with that. You’re going to find out. And we did find out. And the family probably didn’t want her identity revealed because they know they’re going to be put through hell. They’re going to experience the wrath of Americans who are livid about the whole DEI issue. Now, the problem, Mark, I don’t even know if the DEI issue applies here. Maybe it does. It may not.
SPEAKER 03 :
It may not.
SPEAKER 02 :
And it really may not.
SPEAKER 03 :
It may not. It doesn’t mean it’s not worth bringing up at a time when safety is a key focus.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, let’s deal with what we do know. I mean, something went terribly wrong. And here’s the problem with trying to give her anonymity. This is a big problem here. First of all, we need to have respect and compassion. Her family is mourning and grieving, and they may have an extra burden. They may have the burden of living with the fact that on top of… her loss she may have been to blame i mean she because something went and if every report is correct it appears that that helicopter was i guess higher than it was cleared to be it was over over right 200 feet they were 300 feet um the plane evidently made a last second desperate effort the pilot of that plane tried to pull up to avoid the collision and that helicopter just slammed right into it and incidentally have you seen the video of the flight attendants on the doomed flight. Somebody took a video of them the night before the crash. No. Oh, Mark. It is so heartbreaking. You want to hear it? It’s just a normal. You want to hear it? It’s the night before. And let me tell you why we should play it.
SPEAKER 03 :
I was going to say, because I hear people go, oh, no. Because these were people. These were people. They had lives. They were filled with joy. They were filled with purpose. It was the blissful normalcy of their night before.
SPEAKER 02 :
And the guy, the lead flight attendant, Ian, who just introduced his partner, the female flight attendant, who were, of course, both killed, the joy he has in serving his passengers. The clear, and he leaves behind, of course, a wife and kids and just grieving. And people love this guy. You know how you get flight attendants who you know love their job? Southwest comes to mind. And sometimes I always joke about they’re too happy for me. Just calm down here a little bit, all right? You know, they’re singing happy, happy, joy, joy, and, you know, all that stuff. We get jokes. It’s like they’re working a club sometimes. It’s like, okay, we get it. We get it. But this guy, this guy, a passenger was on the same route the night before the crash. And he had such, the flight attendant, Ian, had such a delightful monologue that the passenger pulled out a cell phone and took a video of it. And the family of the flight attendant saw this on social media. And they said, thank you for sharing this. Thank you for reminding everybody how special he was, how his passengers loved him. Not just a name. Not just a name. Not just a statistic. Not just a number. These were two flight attendants. He’s a veteran. She was apparently brand new. And here was that final video taken the night before the awful crash over the…
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SPEAKER 04 :
everybody? Fine, whatever. We’ll go to Wichita. I can’t believe I’m saying that out loud. My name is Ian, everybody. I am your app flight attendant tonight. I’m going to be working with all of those amazing people in the back that can’t afford first class. Hi, everybody. Look at my people. I want everybody to introduce you to one of my newest, coolest friends. This is your first your first-class flight attendant, and a really cool lady. Everybody say, hey, Danasia.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hey, Danasia.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s Danasia with a duh. There you go. Very easy. We are so glad you guys are here. We know, well… We know the reason we have jobs is because you guys are flying. We love you. We appreciate you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy our four-hour and 15-minute… Sir, we’re regional. We only go five miles an hour. We’ll get there eventually. You’re lucky this airplane has wings, for crying out loud. I’m just kidding. 46 minutes, wheels up, wheels down. Fast, fast, fast tonight. It’s a beautiful night to fly. Let’s just get there, so… The four of us can find a place to have a cocktail and a hamburger at 11.30 at night in Wichita, Kansas. I can’t believe I’m going to Kansas. I’m not even a Jayhawk. I mean, I’m a Notre Dame fan. Come on. You want to talk about a real college? All right, we’ll talk about that later. Folks, sit back, relax, put your feet up. Welcome to our house.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow, that’s Ian Epstein.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mike, that’s beautiful. That is just absolutely beautiful. That was him. That was his heart. That was his talent. And it was quite the talent, that self-deprecation, that having a little fun with everybody. Because what does everybody say about flying? That flying is a massive pain in the neck, which it is. And it’s just the quality of it and the enjoyment that we glean from it as passengers has been reduced over the years. It can be made better by people with a sense of humor and a sense of and a heart for service like he had, I am so glad to have you here.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I came across that this week. And again, the family member, somebody named Epstein, saw that post and said, Debbie Epstein wrote, thank you, this has reached his family, and we appreciate you sharing this. It does bring us comfort. I mean, and the pastor who wrote back, he truly brought so much joy to all of us on our flight. I shared hoping that the country and the family would see. So anyway, just heartbreaking. And just as heartbreaking for the helicopter pilot, the Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Here’s why it matters, why we know the details. And this is going to sound crass, but it’s true. As a member of the military, we pay – she works for us. She’s, in a sense, our employee. Because here’s what’s going to happen. If indeed that crew was to blame – the U.S. Army is going to be on the hook for millions and millions and millions of dollars to the families of the victims, the surviving family members. So we have a say in this. I mean, as crude as that may sound, you can’t keep this covered up. The American people have every right to know, did that crew err? Was there a mistake made? If so, how do you keep that from happening again? And is it too soon to inject the DEI debate
SPEAKER 03 :
See if this makes sense. There’s a list of things we can do. Of course it’s premature to say, ha, woman, must be her fault. Of course you don’t say that. And here’s, in fact, another thing. Let’s say it is her fault. Her womanhood may not have been to blame. I’ve got this wonderful relationship over the years. with the 2nd of the 149th General Support Aviation Battalion based out of Grand Prairie, Army National Guard, Blackhawks, Chinooks. I’ve met some women who are magnificent pilots, and by every account, it looks like she’s one of them. Doesn’t mean she didn’t screw up. Guess what? Guys screw up, too.
