Flight 143: An Allegory?

The tragedy of the Gimli Glider could have been prevented. And not just once or twice. There were many red flags, and I don’t refer to the ones that signaled the pilot to take-off. The first came when the ground crew initially discovered the faulty fuel gauge. The second when no one contested the mathematical conversion factor spouted off by the aircraft refueller. The third when an amber light flashed in the cockpit to signal a problem with the fuel pump.

Some may say, “those things happen all the time. How can you expect anyone to take such commonplace warnings seriously?” And while it is true that an isolated incidence of one such red flag may not merit careful inspection, the accumulation of flags causes the weight of the alarm to grow exponentially. For example, though it may be acceptable to question the gravity of a flashing light in the cockpit, if potentially-disastrous problems have been previously detected in relation to the instrument in question, then suddenly that flashing light should become of serious concern.

While I cannot contend that I or anyone would have been more prudent given the circumstances of the Gimli Glider incident, I do see a great lesson in the story. In life we have many built-in warnings that keep us aware of potential threats. We have our conscience, our friends, our family, and others. We learn quickly that we cannot heed every small “alarm” that is triggered by these safeguards; there are simply too many. But when a barrage of alerts come all warning of the same misfortune, wisdom begs a listening ear. Be it spiritual or social, academic or professional, physical or emotional, we have “built-in safeguards” to protect us. If we do not pay them heed, what end do they serve?