It was autumn in France. We were on our way to the Tulouse Airport when the handphones of some friends from Taiwanese media started ringing one after another.
“What？ An SIA plane has crashed in Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan？” exclaimed one of them. This was echoed by the rest and their words began ringing in my ears.
How could this be possible？ Just a false alarm probably, I told myself. Still, I could not help but called the office, only to have the tragic news confirmed by my superior.
The golden wings of flight SQ006 and the airline's 28-year perfect safety record have been wrecked by typhoon Xangsane.
It is a cruel fact that many, including me, find hard to accept. Never mind that memories of the 3-year-old SilkAir disaster which I covered, remain vivid in my mind.
But I have been telling myself that SilkAir is a subsidiary of SIA and that similar misfortunes will never happen to SIA. Am I alone in thinking this way？
Why do we have such wishful thinking？ Why is the SIA plane crash such a shock to us？
Is it because we have grown “accustomed” to SIA winning the top spot in a few global rankings every year and as a result, our expectations of the airline have also gone up？
It is an undisputable fact that with the growing demand for and global development of civil aviation, the number of planes that take off and land at any airport every day has risen tremendously.
From a statistical point of view, this has increased the possibility of air disasters. For rapidly-expanding SIA, this means a greater challenge in maintaining its clean record.
The greater the challenge, the more difficult it is to find people who can handle it with confidence. Similarly, the higher the expectations, the bigger the letdown when they are not met.
Before the truth is established, like many Singaporeans, I accept the “consequences” of the plane having used the wrong runway, but have reservations about the “causes” that led the pilots to make the error.
The crash is testimony to an old Chinese saying： “In nature there are unexpected storms and in life unpredictable vicissitudes”。 It makes us sit up and become aware that accidents can happen anytime - no matter how impressive your record has been and how thorough the system of operation is.
This is something that Singaporeans who have grown used to affluence and have little experiences with natural calamities should ponder about.
Have we taken the peace that we enjoy for granted？ Has the slogan of “be prepared for danger in times of peace” become something that we remind ourselves of only during the annual Total Defence activities？
Are we mentally prepared for sudden and tragic incidents？ Are we setting increasingly high standards for “peace, efficiency and safety” so much so that we do not pay attention to the possible emergence of “impossible situations”？
When something unfortunate strikes, as individuals, are we able to face and accept the fact？ As a society, are we able to stay united, help each other out and work hand in hand？
The SilkAir disaster three years ago is our first experience of being “thrown into panic”。 The recent SIA plane crash shows us that nothing is impossible.
There is no longer anything that will not happen, even in Singapore. The alarm has been raised and everyone should now “be prepared for danger in times of peace”。
Perhaps we should re-adjust our expectations of the way things should be and re-evaluate every possibility.
Becuase it is true that nothing can be taken for granted.
On my journey back to Singapore, I stopped off in London to switch to another flight. There, I saw on TV the wreckage of SQ006 burning fiercely in the rain.
This caused me to hesitate for a few minutes - would I have the courage to step into the SIA cabin two hours later？。
But it was only a brief moment of uncertainty.
I returned home safely and covering the crash allowed me to gain a better understanding of the disaster.
Accepting the fact that accidents can happen to SIA planes does not mean a loss of confidence in the national carrier.
I believe that a phoenix that rises from its ashes will be even more dazzlingly beautiful.
（The writer is a Correspondent of Lianhe Zaobao. Translated by Yap Gee Poh）
新航空難的教訓(xùn)
林順華
秋末的法國(guó),前往圖盧茲?rùn)C(jī)場(chǎng)的途中,同車數(shù)位臺(tái)灣媒體朋友的手機(jī)先后響起。
“什么！新航客機(jī)在桃園中正機(jī)場(chǎng)失事！”
聽(tīng)一個(gè)說(shuō),接著陸續(xù)其他人也附應(yīng),便似回音般在耳際回蕩。
怎么可能呢？應(yīng)該是虛驚一場(chǎng)吧。我內(nèi)心暗忖。
但終究還是忍不住撥電回新加坡,結(jié)果從主任口中證實(shí)這個(gè)惡訊。
新航那金黃色的羽翼,經(jīng)過(guò)28年的安穩(wěn)翱翔后,還是在臺(tái)風(fēng)象神的侵襲下斷折了。
這是一個(gè)許多人至今還是難以接受的殘酷事實(shí),包括我在內(nèi)。雖然,約三年前采訪勝安空難時(shí)的情景仍歷歷在目。
但我總是告訴自己,勝安是新航的子公司,這類意外是不會(huì)發(fā)生在新航客機(jī)的。你呢,是不是也有這個(gè)想法？
為什么我們會(huì)有這種一廂情愿的想法呢？SQ006空難,為什么會(huì)讓我們感受到這么大的震驚呢？是我們“習(xí)慣”聽(tīng)到新航年年獲得數(shù)個(gè)世界第一的消息,以致我們自然而然地對(duì)它的期望越定越高嗎？
隨著全球民航業(yè)的發(fā)展,人們對(duì)航空需求的提高。每天在任何一個(gè)機(jī)場(chǎng)起起落落的客機(jī)數(shù)目大大增加,卻也是個(gè)不爭(zhēng)的事實(shí)。
如此一來(lái),從統(tǒng)計(jì)學(xué)的角度來(lái)看,空難發(fā)生的機(jī)率也就相對(duì)提高。對(duì)于業(yè)務(wù)擴(kuò)展迅速的新航來(lái)說(shuō),避免慘禍發(fā)生的挑戰(zhàn)也就越來(lái)越大。
挑戰(zhàn)越大,能從容應(yīng)付的人也就越難求。
同樣的,期望越高,震撼也就越強(qiáng)烈。
在真相還未水落石出前,我如同許多國(guó)人般,雖承認(rèn)飛機(jī)上錯(cuò)跑道的“后果”,卻對(duì)機(jī)師如何會(huì)犯下這錯(cuò)誤的“前因”有所保留。
然而,新航空難印證了“天有不測(cè)之風(fēng)云”的古話,對(duì)我們敲響了警鐘,意識(shí)到意外是隨時(shí)都可能發(fā)生的——無(wú)論你之前擁有多么輝煌的記錄,運(yùn)作制度是如何的周全。
單就這一點(diǎn),便對(duì)豐衣足食、少有機(jī)會(huì)經(jīng)歷天災(zāi)的新加坡人有深重意義。
生活在幾乎是太平盛世的社會(huì)里,我們是否已視一切為理所當(dāng)然。至于“居安思危”的口號(hào),每年則只在全面防衛(wèi)活動(dòng)時(shí)才喊一喊。
我們是否真的具備一定的心理素質(zhì),來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)這類突發(fā)的事件？我們本身對(duì)這一切的“太平、效率、安全”等,是否定下了越來(lái)越高的期望,以致忽略了現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中可能出現(xiàn)的“不可能狀況”？
當(dāng)狀況發(fā)生后,作為個(gè)人,我們是否有能力接受事實(shí)、面對(duì)事實(shí)、承認(rèn)事實(shí)？
當(dāng)狀況發(fā)生后,作為社會(huì),我們是否能夠團(tuán)結(jié)一致、互相扶持、共同進(jìn)退？
三年前的勝安空難,讓我們初嘗這種“驚慌失措”；三年后的新航空難,讓我們證實(shí)了世事無(wú)絕對(duì)。
再也沒(méi)有什么事情是不可能發(fā)生的,即使是在新加坡。
居安思危的警號(hào),此刻應(yīng)該在人人心中亮起。
或許我們都有必要調(diào)整心中對(duì)每件事的期望,重新為每個(gè)可能性進(jìn)行評(píng)估。
因?yàn)?真的,沒(méi)有什么是理所當(dāng)然的。
我從圖盧茲回返新加坡時(shí),是在英國(guó)倫敦轉(zhuǎn)機(jī),在那里,我看到客機(jī)殘骸在風(fēng)雨中狂燒的電視畫面。
這令我有數(shù)分鐘的遲疑,不曉得有沒(méi)有勇氣在兩個(gè)小時(shí)后踏入新航的機(jī)艙。
結(jié)果,那也僅是數(shù)分鐘的遲疑。
我不但安然抵達(dá)祖國(guó),也因采訪空難而對(duì)事件有更多的了解。
調(diào)整心態(tài)接受新航客機(jī)也可能失事,并不表示對(duì)新航的信心將隨之煙消云散。
我始終相信,從火浴中重生的鳳凰,將會(huì)更奪目！
“What？ An SIA plane has crashed in Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan？” exclaimed one of them. This was echoed by the rest and their words began ringing in my ears.
How could this be possible？ Just a false alarm probably, I told myself. Still, I could not help but called the office, only to have the tragic news confirmed by my superior.
The golden wings of flight SQ006 and the airline's 28-year perfect safety record have been wrecked by typhoon Xangsane.
It is a cruel fact that many, including me, find hard to accept. Never mind that memories of the 3-year-old SilkAir disaster which I covered, remain vivid in my mind.
But I have been telling myself that SilkAir is a subsidiary of SIA and that similar misfortunes will never happen to SIA. Am I alone in thinking this way？
Why do we have such wishful thinking？ Why is the SIA plane crash such a shock to us？
Is it because we have grown “accustomed” to SIA winning the top spot in a few global rankings every year and as a result, our expectations of the airline have also gone up？
It is an undisputable fact that with the growing demand for and global development of civil aviation, the number of planes that take off and land at any airport every day has risen tremendously.
From a statistical point of view, this has increased the possibility of air disasters. For rapidly-expanding SIA, this means a greater challenge in maintaining its clean record.
The greater the challenge, the more difficult it is to find people who can handle it with confidence. Similarly, the higher the expectations, the bigger the letdown when they are not met.
Before the truth is established, like many Singaporeans, I accept the “consequences” of the plane having used the wrong runway, but have reservations about the “causes” that led the pilots to make the error.
The crash is testimony to an old Chinese saying： “In nature there are unexpected storms and in life unpredictable vicissitudes”。 It makes us sit up and become aware that accidents can happen anytime - no matter how impressive your record has been and how thorough the system of operation is.
This is something that Singaporeans who have grown used to affluence and have little experiences with natural calamities should ponder about.
Have we taken the peace that we enjoy for granted？ Has the slogan of “be prepared for danger in times of peace” become something that we remind ourselves of only during the annual Total Defence activities？
Are we mentally prepared for sudden and tragic incidents？ Are we setting increasingly high standards for “peace, efficiency and safety” so much so that we do not pay attention to the possible emergence of “impossible situations”？
When something unfortunate strikes, as individuals, are we able to face and accept the fact？ As a society, are we able to stay united, help each other out and work hand in hand？
The SilkAir disaster three years ago is our first experience of being “thrown into panic”。 The recent SIA plane crash shows us that nothing is impossible.
There is no longer anything that will not happen, even in Singapore. The alarm has been raised and everyone should now “be prepared for danger in times of peace”。
Perhaps we should re-adjust our expectations of the way things should be and re-evaluate every possibility.
Becuase it is true that nothing can be taken for granted.
On my journey back to Singapore, I stopped off in London to switch to another flight. There, I saw on TV the wreckage of SQ006 burning fiercely in the rain.
This caused me to hesitate for a few minutes - would I have the courage to step into the SIA cabin two hours later？。
But it was only a brief moment of uncertainty.
I returned home safely and covering the crash allowed me to gain a better understanding of the disaster.
Accepting the fact that accidents can happen to SIA planes does not mean a loss of confidence in the national carrier.
I believe that a phoenix that rises from its ashes will be even more dazzlingly beautiful.
（The writer is a Correspondent of Lianhe Zaobao. Translated by Yap Gee Poh）
新航空難的教訓(xùn)
林順華
秋末的法國(guó),前往圖盧茲?rùn)C(jī)場(chǎng)的途中,同車數(shù)位臺(tái)灣媒體朋友的手機(jī)先后響起。
“什么！新航客機(jī)在桃園中正機(jī)場(chǎng)失事！”
聽(tīng)一個(gè)說(shuō),接著陸續(xù)其他人也附應(yīng),便似回音般在耳際回蕩。
怎么可能呢？應(yīng)該是虛驚一場(chǎng)吧。我內(nèi)心暗忖。
但終究還是忍不住撥電回新加坡,結(jié)果從主任口中證實(shí)這個(gè)惡訊。
新航那金黃色的羽翼,經(jīng)過(guò)28年的安穩(wěn)翱翔后,還是在臺(tái)風(fēng)象神的侵襲下斷折了。
這是一個(gè)許多人至今還是難以接受的殘酷事實(shí),包括我在內(nèi)。雖然,約三年前采訪勝安空難時(shí)的情景仍歷歷在目。
但我總是告訴自己,勝安是新航的子公司,這類意外是不會(huì)發(fā)生在新航客機(jī)的。你呢,是不是也有這個(gè)想法？
為什么我們會(huì)有這種一廂情愿的想法呢？SQ006空難,為什么會(huì)讓我們感受到這么大的震驚呢？是我們“習(xí)慣”聽(tīng)到新航年年獲得數(shù)個(gè)世界第一的消息,以致我們自然而然地對(duì)它的期望越定越高嗎？
隨著全球民航業(yè)的發(fā)展,人們對(duì)航空需求的提高。每天在任何一個(gè)機(jī)場(chǎng)起起落落的客機(jī)數(shù)目大大增加,卻也是個(gè)不爭(zhēng)的事實(shí)。
如此一來(lái),從統(tǒng)計(jì)學(xué)的角度來(lái)看,空難發(fā)生的機(jī)率也就相對(duì)提高。對(duì)于業(yè)務(wù)擴(kuò)展迅速的新航來(lái)說(shuō),避免慘禍發(fā)生的挑戰(zhàn)也就越來(lái)越大。
挑戰(zhàn)越大,能從容應(yīng)付的人也就越難求。
同樣的,期望越高,震撼也就越強(qiáng)烈。
在真相還未水落石出前,我如同許多國(guó)人般,雖承認(rèn)飛機(jī)上錯(cuò)跑道的“后果”,卻對(duì)機(jī)師如何會(huì)犯下這錯(cuò)誤的“前因”有所保留。
然而,新航空難印證了“天有不測(cè)之風(fēng)云”的古話,對(duì)我們敲響了警鐘,意識(shí)到意外是隨時(shí)都可能發(fā)生的——無(wú)論你之前擁有多么輝煌的記錄,運(yùn)作制度是如何的周全。
單就這一點(diǎn),便對(duì)豐衣足食、少有機(jī)會(huì)經(jīng)歷天災(zāi)的新加坡人有深重意義。
生活在幾乎是太平盛世的社會(huì)里,我們是否已視一切為理所當(dāng)然。至于“居安思危”的口號(hào),每年則只在全面防衛(wèi)活動(dòng)時(shí)才喊一喊。
我們是否真的具備一定的心理素質(zhì),來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)這類突發(fā)的事件？我們本身對(duì)這一切的“太平、效率、安全”等,是否定下了越來(lái)越高的期望,以致忽略了現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中可能出現(xiàn)的“不可能狀況”？
當(dāng)狀況發(fā)生后,作為個(gè)人,我們是否有能力接受事實(shí)、面對(duì)事實(shí)、承認(rèn)事實(shí)？
當(dāng)狀況發(fā)生后,作為社會(huì),我們是否能夠團(tuán)結(jié)一致、互相扶持、共同進(jìn)退？
三年前的勝安空難,讓我們初嘗這種“驚慌失措”；三年后的新航空難,讓我們證實(shí)了世事無(wú)絕對(duì)。
再也沒(méi)有什么事情是不可能發(fā)生的,即使是在新加坡。
居安思危的警號(hào),此刻應(yīng)該在人人心中亮起。
或許我們都有必要調(diào)整心中對(duì)每件事的期望,重新為每個(gè)可能性進(jìn)行評(píng)估。
因?yàn)?真的,沒(méi)有什么是理所當(dāng)然的。
我從圖盧茲回返新加坡時(shí),是在英國(guó)倫敦轉(zhuǎn)機(jī),在那里,我看到客機(jī)殘骸在風(fēng)雨中狂燒的電視畫面。
這令我有數(shù)分鐘的遲疑,不曉得有沒(méi)有勇氣在兩個(gè)小時(shí)后踏入新航的機(jī)艙。
結(jié)果,那也僅是數(shù)分鐘的遲疑。
我不但安然抵達(dá)祖國(guó),也因采訪空難而對(duì)事件有更多的了解。
調(diào)整心態(tài)接受新航客機(jī)也可能失事,并不表示對(duì)新航的信心將隨之煙消云散。
我始終相信,從火浴中重生的鳳凰,將會(huì)更奪目！