So what could cause a highly trained pilot to reach an emotional breaking point while flying an aircraft? And why has this moment resonated so deeply with people around the world?
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To understand why this incident has struck such a chord, it helps to first understand what society expects from pilots.
Commercial pilots undergo:
* Years of training
* Rigorous medical and psychological evaluations
* Continuous performance assessments
* High-stress simulations of emergency scenarios
From the outside, they appear unshakable—calm voices over the intercom, steady hands on the controls, and absolute command of their aircraft. This image has been carefully cultivated over decades to reassure passengers that they are safe.
But pilots are human.
And humans, even highly trained ones, carry emotional weight.
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