How's this for a Tower/Pilot exchange in an Emergency?

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...
Instead of responding to a request for vectors in an engine failure over
water situation, this controller played Q&A. No telling if the plane
would have made land if the controller had answered *the* question.

snip

I see plenty of pilot error, and *maybe* a teeny tiny glitch in the
controller's response. To try to put the deaths of the pilot and his
daughter on the controller is just plain wrong.

Pilot in command. The final authority with respect to responsibility for
the safety of the flight. As pilots, we need to take that responsibility
seriously. Short of obvious gross negligence, point the finger somewhere
else is NOT taking that responsibility seriously.

Pete

I guess I see it differently. Losing an engine over water, probably trying
to work the problem, the pilot may have been rattled and without the mental
capacity in that situation to process which way to turn. Also, the guy may
have been IFR, although that certainly isn't clear. What he needed was a
direction to turn and he didn't get that immediately.

Regardless of whether it is a controller, a co-worker, or my wife, it really
bugs me when someone doesn't give a direct answer to a question...

KB