[Normy]

-You know, in aviation we are trying to prevent mistakes by creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up.

Colgan Air 3407 crashed February 12, 2009, killing 50 people. This crash was caused by an aerodynamic stall in icing conditions while nearing the airport at low altitude. The captain was flying and lowered the flaps and landing gear, which caused the plane to slow. The first officer said nothing. The airspeed slowed to stalling speed, the first officer said nothing. The plane stalled, and the captain pulled BACK on the yoke, the exact OPPOSITE of his training from day one...and the first officer said NOTHING. 50 people dead as a result. All because one idiot was flying and another idiot sat there MUTE.

There are many parallels between that crash and the current issue at Penn State. Joe Paterno was told by McQueary that a child had been sexually abused in the showers in the football building, and he told his superiors. Which indeed was all he was required to do....but you know, if the first officer of of Colgan 3407 had said to the captain "We're stalling", would she be any less dead? The captain of that flight was clueless. A student pilot with 20 hours knows how to get out of a stall, but not this guy. SHE NEEDED to grab the plane from the captain and save everyone's lives, but she didn't. Joe Paterno is like the first officer on 3407; He told his captain that the plane was stalling, then sat there while he and the rest of the plane were flown into the ground without making any effort to save everyone's lives. Now his career is in shambles, and an utterly HORRID footnote will accompany every description of what would have probably been the premier coaching career in college football history. All because he simply wouldn't put his hand up and say "Hey...has anyone thought that maybe law enforcement needs to be contacted about this?"

N!

PS: I've grabbed controls from Captains twice in my 18 year career in the airlines.