ken zirkel

Here’s an interesting comparison from the news, which clearly illustrates the power of prayer:

In 2005, a Tunisian pilot flying from Italy to Tunisia lost power in both engines. What did he do?

Captain Gharby had turned the controls over to his co-pilot during the emergency and uttered a prayer, instead of following standard procedures that might have allowed him to land the plane at an airport.

The result? The plane went down in the sea off Sicily and 13 people were killed. Mr. Gharby was sentenced to 10 years in prison for manslaughter.

By contrast, in the more well-known 2009 case of US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger, faced with a similar situation in densely populated New York City airspace, took over the controls from his co-pilot and followed procedures which he had previously and frequently trained for in simulators. As a result, he brought his plane down in the Hudson River with zero casualties.

The moral? Training and experience will beat prayer every time.