This hits close

A new episode of the National Geographic Air Crash Investigation TV show, titled  Killer Attitude is hard for me to watch. It describes the crash of a perfectly good Northwest Airlink Jetstream 31 from MSP to Hibbing, MN, on 1 December 1993. I was flying out of MSP that night, same airplane type, same airline. I knew the captain, Marvin. I remember the grief counselors in the MSP crew room for two weeks after the crash.

 
 And one of the presenters, Craig Railsback, is a friend. We met 25 years ago, as young first officers in Jetstream 31 training at this airline.

So I’m biased. But also intimately knowledgable about this crash. The video is very accurate (with the exception of EFIS instruments in the J31); technically, historically, and in covering the human factors psychology. Marvin had a bad attitude, an extreme reaction to poor management and working conditions. It’s a powerful reminder that CRM training will save lives. Certainly worth your time to watch Craig and other airline experts explain what happened:

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