A business airline pilot acknowledged this week’s lethal, midair aircraft collision throughout a heartfelt “welcome aboard” announcement aimed toward comforting nervous passengers on a flight that took off lower than 24 hours after the catastrophe.
“You might be fearful of flying, and that’s certainly understandable, but please just know that my first officer and our flight attendants and myself place your safety and the responsibility of carrying you to Miami, to your families or vacations or meetings, at the highest level,” the American Airways pilot advised passengers earlier than taking off from Jacksonville.
“I have no higher calling than carefully, professionally transporting you today. So with that, relax and enjoy the beautiful evening that we get to fly in,” the pilot continues.
A recording of the soothing message is now a viral TikTok video considered 5 million instances.
The TikToker, Leighton Mixon, captioned the video, “After AA5432, This American Airways Captain simply mentioned the precise phrases that I (and everybody else) wanted to listen to.
“Life is short, hug your people,” Mixon wrote, together with a pink coronary heart emoji.
The pilot’s comforting phrases got here simply earlier than the flight took off at 7:22 p.m. Thursday, based on public flight information — and fewer than 23 hours after an American Airways passenger aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Washington, DC, at 8:48 p.m. Wednesday night time, killing 67 folks.
“After such a tragic event, I was facing so much anxiety and worry going into my travel day wondering how the crew would be and how their demeanors would be. How will they act? What will they say?” Mixon recalled.
“And with one announcement, [the pilot] silenced all fear. It felt like he was speaking just to me, and then I looked up and quickly realized how badly every single person on the flight needed to hear what he had said,” he advised The Put up Friday.
“It’s every pilot’s job to inform and take control, but his kindness and his empathy far surpasses his job description,” Mixon continued.
TikTokers rapidly flooded the feedback part of Mixon’s video with reward for the pilot’s honest message.
“That is so kind of him knowing his heart is probably heavier than it’s ever been,” one person wrote.
“His voice sounds like it broke when he said he had no higher calling … his heart is so so heavy,” one other mentioned.
