It was a really well written article though. It really highlighted the personalities of some of the crew. It was a nice tribute in that regard, I think. I also like how the author didn't just lazily blame any one person or part of the organization. They recognized all of the small errors, failures, and misjudgments that make up the chain of events that led them there. The blame was borne by all who deserved it.
I second the recommendation to read this; I did so back when it came out.
William Langewiesche is one of the few (only?) non-political/editorial writers whose by-line I always follow. He is a journalist of rare talent and experience. This story is sobering, educational, and dispassionate and honest as you described.
The reason I ran across it when it came out is that on the same day, I was linking his past article on the space shuttle
Columbia disaster to a some class notes for an AP Engineering class I was covering (not the regular teacher, just covering an absence). That is also a fascinating read. It is here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/11/columbias-last-flight/304204/
I started reading him when he worked at
The Atlantic, back when it was worth subscribing too (sorry for the jibe). As a note, he was a professional pilot before a working journalist and what gives him a sensitivity to complex systems and causalities, and an aversion to writing sensationalistic “blame game” stories. And it’s in the blood. His dad Wolfgang Langeweische was a well-known test pilot, journalist for
Flying, and the author of the legendary
Stick and Rudder primer for pilots.
“I guess I shared it here because I don't know where else to. I certainly can't post that to facebook for my family to read...”
Actually, that is not a bad thought. Do it. I read about air and maritime disasters not in a morbid way, but to teach myself to think about systems, causalisty, and event-chains (“swiss cheese” theory) so I don’t end up in one. And this works in everyday life, too. Yesterday I was in an impromptu/unexpected meeting where I watched two admistrators totally talk past each other, wanting the same outcome but misunderstanding each other (one Hispanic, one English). As their mutual tension And misunderstanding grew, I stepped in and shifted the discussion to de-conflict. This was a totally non-life threatening issue. But being able to identify mis-communication and set ego aside is a valuable skill and it could help your friends and family in many ways.
Check out that
Columbia article, too.