Originally Posted by
Rightseat Ballast
I know people will be critical of the phone calls prior to getting the actual situation under control, but in all fairness the captain said he did not know what to do. Making at least one call could be seen as a positive step towards ensuring everyone's safety. That said, he ended up getting too wrapped up in the calls and seems to be unaware of most of what was going on in the cabin and outside.
There's no doubt that the Capt was in shock and had frozen up....not surprising in the least....it would happen to many of us in that kind of stressful situation.
However, there are two things to aid you if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation. First, most Flight Ops Policy Manuals that I have seen have some sort of Post Accident/Incident checklist that will help you get the aircraft secured and the passengers safely taken care of. It will tell you who to notify and what items to safeguard. Second, keep the ALPA Accident/Incident Hotline card in your wallet and call the number....follow the advice on the back of the card and do not discuss the nature of the difficulty with anyone, including out loud while the CVR is running. There will come a time to discuss what happened, but not while you're under that kind of stress and shock.