Keeping calm is the key to successful crisis management

Two plane crushes underpin the importance of staying calm in turbulent times. The Air France Flight 447 and the US Airways Flight 1549.

Air France Flight 447 was a passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. On June 1st 2009, the Airbus A330 serving the flight stalled and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 passengers and crew on-board.

But what had caused the fatal crash? Captain Marc Dubois had just handed over command of the aircraft to first officer Pierre-Cédric Bonin and retreated to rest just before it run in turbulent skies. The aircraft encountered icing conditions that affected its sensors causing the autopilot to disengage.

In panic and despair, Bonin responded to the autopilot’s disengagement by pulling his side-stick backwards putting the aircraft on a steep accent exceeding the aircraft's angle of attack. Soon the aircraft had exceeded its vertical speeds and stalled crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Investigations revealed that the icing condition lasted for about a minute and all Bonin had to do was to maintain the aircraft's altitude until autopilot kicked in again.

Unlike the Air France scenario, a US Airways aircraft had encountered a deadly situation earlier in the year but no life was lost.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 on a flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, run into a flock of Canadian geese losing both of its engines. Confronted with the reality of the impending crash, Captain Chesley Sullenberger famously known as Captain Sully, radioed the control tower and told them that he was taking the Aircraft to Hudson River.

Within a moment of crisis he had assessed the situation and decided to steer the aircraft into the Hudson River. He was calm and calculative that he was able to land the aircraft into the river at an angle that avoided impact that could have torn the aircraft apart.

Captain Sully was so calm that he ransacked the sinking aircraft to ensure that no passenger or crew was trapped inside. He oversaw the rescue operations and left the aircraft last. His calmness saved the life of 150 Passengers and 3 flight attendants on board.

Staying calm in the face of a crisis, can mean the difference between a tragic accident and its avoidance and can make the difference between life and death. Keeping calm in the face of crisis enables you to think clearly and soberly, thus making rational decisions. Never panic or despair in the midst of a crisis. It is not the place and time to lose your head. Just hold on and remain calm and experience the magic.