Flight 17’s Voice Recorder

Airline pilots are often considered as cultural icons: focused, precise, and reliable. What airline passenger doesn't feel a sense of assurance when the confident informative voice of the captain issues out over the P.A. system? But what if your captain greeted you with these words: "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is Captain Carlin. We have a routine flight plan today, but I'm totally strung out. You see, I couldn't sleep last night, haven't been able to sleep for over a month now. The mess I'm making of my life depresses me. I've screwed up my life, and I feel everything is falling apart. I really think I'm going crazy. Now, sit back and relax. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask." Suddenly the "friendly skies" take on an air of turbulence. "Mental problems" and "cockpit crew" are two phrases that should not share the same sentence. This book takes a hard look at an issue rarely discussed in the airline industry.