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In that situation, the fact that it was a freak accident totally exculpates the pilot. He did an admirable job under impossible conditions.

With the Gimli Glider, Captain Pearson took some of the blame because he flew the plane when the minimum equipment list said he shouldn't have, and he miscalculated the quantity of fuel on board.

It's quite possible Captain Pearson would have been hung out to dry if there had been fatalities. Instead, his admirable performance in the air was enough to almost entirely outweigh whatever mistakes he made on the ground.




It is often said that there is no such thing as an "Emergency Takeoff"




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