TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Afloat Tragedy in Alaska

From CNN's news digest:

Two float planes collided in midair in Alaska, killing four people and injuring several others. Ten people were rescued and received medical attention after the collision. Two people are still missing. The passengers on both planes were from a Royal Princess cruise ship. The planes were part of a tour float, and had pontoons, or floats, that enable them to land on water. Police have not identified the victims.

Wow, I don't understand how that happens.. Such a tragedy.

Well it just happened again AND by the same charter company. Something tells me there's a problem with either maintenance or quality of pilot training.

Wow..

Could be a number of things but my imagination goes to “get there itis” or “go itis”. In aviation, this phenomena leads to bad decisions to fly or keep going when things deteriorate like the weather, cloud ceilings, winds.

When a conpany has a full load of eager paying cruise passengers during the summer season, maybe you get some bad decisions.

Ive set it about other cruise exursions (boat, snorkel, parasailing) and it is doubly important with airplanes- if things dont feel right dont go. Who cares about the money refund.

The problem is that you as the consumer really don't have any good way to know when it is too risky. You have to depend on those who are supposedly the experts.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/alaska-float-plane-crash-initial-report-1.5158891

One presumes that the crew has sufficient experience but someone will always be at the beginning of that learning curve.

Yes, if one isn’t attuned to go/no conditions,you may have to have blind faith in your providers. I guess what I’m saying is for people to channel their healthy doubts as to whether all is perfect for their “whatever excursion” as to whether things look right, feel right. Maybe I have ESP........I could give you many examples in my life and right now one that comes to mind is a 5 Star restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand where I chose to get a “bottle of Perrier Unopened”. By the end of the meal I was starved but LMAO as my intuition served me well.

Where I didn't have my ESP turned on was a Tiko Tiko power boat ride to St Barth’s. That is when I recalibrated my ESP to “Full Question Authority”.