Reflection regarding the talk entitled
"OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES IN CRISIS"
Latiff Cyrano, 37 and a father of four was a first officer and he was one of three pilots in the cockpit of SQ 006, that crashed on a rainy night at Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-Shek airport on 31 October 2000. On 31 October 2000, the accident involved flight SQ006/SIA006 from Singapore Changi Airport to Los Angeles International Airport via Taiwan. It happened at the Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport (renamed Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport), Taipei, Taiwan. When the flight was about to take-off from runway 05L, it accidentally entered another runway (05R) which was under construction during a typhoon. The aircraft crashed into construction equipment on the runway, killing 81 of the 179 occupants aboard. Ninety-eight initially survived the impact, but two passengers died later from injuries in a hospital.
The pilots remained in Taipei for 52 days for onsite investigation processes and legal proceedings. The crash was the topic of every media presentation. Cyrano and his fellow pilots were called murderers and labeled every possible negative, accusatory term in news articles and media broadcasts. Due to numerous death threats and the pursuit by media, they were moved to different accommodations every few days, as a way to prevent them from being attacked by members of the public and the press. When Cyrano and the flight crew were able to return home, they were placed on house arrest for almost two years. They were unable to leave the country, and when they went out for any reason, they had to meet a daily curfew upon return. The airline assigned security personnel to check their homes to ensure the pilots remained in compliance during the investigation.
For the duration of the investigation, Cyrano received great support from his parents and his wife. His mother summed up her feelings about the events surrounding the crash and the investigation when she told Cyrano that he and the accident were not one and the same. While external forces may have eroded his self-esteem, the undying support of his family validated his self-worth. Keeping on the path he had accepted the night of the crash, Cyrano continued to put one foot in front of the other. There were no shortcuts. No drugs or alcohol could soothe his pain he had to persevere he owed this to those who supported him. The love of his family and understanding by certain pilots sustained him during the aftermath of the crash and the years that followed.
In 2010, Cyrano was re-certified as a commercial airline pilot. Cleared of any intentional wrong-doing, Cyrano was free to enter the cockpit again. In 2012, Cyrano was hired by AirAsia. In 2014 Cyrano moved from the right seat to the coveted commander’s left seat. Today in addition to flying the line, Cyrano is very much involved in the personal, academic and professional development of young people in the region within the aviation realm. He adjuncts at tertiary institutions and gets invited to speak on varied occasions. Understanding the value of pilot support, he heads up AirAsia’s Critical Incident Support Management (CISM) Peer Support program. He is also certified to conduct training on the Foundation’s customized QPR Program.