In an age where accountability is seemingly just a buzzword, the recent revelation of an incident involving American Airlines and Delta at JFK International Airport is particularly eye-opening. Earlier this year, this near-tragic event involved an American Airlines flight that mistakenly crossed a runway while a Delta flight was about to take off. How did this happen, you might ask? Well, it seems certain individuals prioritized flying over—quite literally—owning up to their mistakes.

Here’s the situation: the American Airlines flight was supposed to hang a right but instead opted for a straight line across the runway, unaware of the 300-ton speeding chunk of metal on the other end. A disaster was narrowly avoided, with only seconds separating many lives from certain doom. After this close call, instead of pausing to reflect, the American Airlines crew embarked on a transatlantic journey to London, conveniently forgetting to mention this runway rendezvous. If pilots start relying on luck instead of skill, perhaps our security blankets should include four-leaf clovers and rabbit’s feet.

But wait, it gets better. When the National Transportation Safety Board started poking around to get some answers, the crew suddenly forgot how to cooperate. Following the advice of their union, they zipped their lips, forcing investigators to chase them down with subpoenas. It seems that the definition of teamwork doesn’t extend past the cockpit. It was only through these demands that the names of the pilots involved finally surfaced out from the shadows. It’s as if transparency took a back seat in this flight of fancies.

First Officer Tracy Gonzalez claimed she was distracted by multiple weather alerts, causing her to lose track of where the plane actually was. Apparently, the airplane’s navigational equipment took a coffee break. Meanwhile, Captain Michael Griever admitted he saw big red lights, usually a universal signal for ‘Don’t Go Here,’ and chose to ignore them. He later admitted something wasn’t right, but by then, chaos was inches away. One might wonder if common sense and situational awareness were on holiday that day.

Despite these reckless errors, and much to everyone’s surprise or horror, these pilots are still entrusted with ferrying passengers through the skies. Evidently, the high standards of safety are as elusive as a unicorn in the aviation world, at least for those deemed untouchable or backed by unions wielding substantial influence. Flying should not be a gamble, yet here we are, left to ponder if the audacity to brush off such incidents with nonchalance represents a growing trend in this era of canceling personal responsibility.

In summation, the aviation industry, hailed for its commitment to safely transporting millions annually, seems to be flying in some troublingly turbulent ethical skies. When those tasked with responsibility dodge it as if it were an inbound storm, the implications are too heavy to ignore. Perhaps it’s time for a thorough reevaluation of not only the technical skills of pilots but their moral compass as well.