The Times (dead tree press edition) continues coverage of the Durban plane crash with news that Alistair Freeman, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft and Ebrahim Mthetwa, the now infamous Municipal Worker, are currently in hospital in a critical condition, while the co-pilot (female) (just sayin’) and the other crew member are in a stable. Which seemed like an odd place for them to be until I read the next line: “condition in hospital”.
I should read ahead more often.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to each of them. But all that is incidental.
Firstly, before we wade into further heavy religious debate, let’s hear what Andre Smit “a private pilot with 20 years of experience” (although it doesn’t say in what) has to offer:
The pilot is to be commended. For him to come over all those houses to land shows true airmanship. His ability to fly is almost a miracle.
The pilot’s “miracle” ability to fly has, on this occasion, failed to impress me.
His ability to crash is truly awesome though.
“Emotional resident” Santosh Ramnarain has lost the plot though. Once again, here is an example of someone who can’t see the wood for the trees. Speaking (again) of the Pilot, Santosh tells us:
This man is a hero and God has to save him because he saved us. My whole family could have died in an instant if he did not act so quickly.
Santosh – who caused this accident? Well, if you believe in him and you believe in his omnipotence – and you obviously do, since you’re asking him to intervene in the pilot’s recovery – then god did! Don’t you see?
So, while you’re asking the big guy upstairs to save Captain Freeman, the whole plane crash thing was his idea in the first place.
Couldn’t he rather just have cut out the middleman and let Captain Freeman have a ordinary, undramatic and safe journey (albeit to Pietermaritzberg)?
That alternate scenario would also have resulted in the co-pilot not having two broken ankles, one broken hand and severe pelvic and chest injuries; the third crew member would not have damage to her spine and face and Mr Mthethwa would have been able to go home to his family in the evening instead of lying unconscious in a public hospital ICU bed.
That – to me at least – seems like a much nicer way of doing things.
So Santosh, maybe instead of asking god to save Captain Freeman, you should first ask him why he insisted on bringing the plane down in the first place.
Are you Bruinman in disguise? Blinkered to the crap that happens at god’s will, but giving him props for sunshine, pretty flowers and miracle pilots.