In September 1999, on a routine package flight, a Britannia Airways Boeing 757 was hit by lightning during a thunderstorm. The pilot was forced to make a crash-landing at Gerona Airport during which the plane broke into three sections. However, not one person from the 245 crew and passengers was injured from this. Everyone hailed the pilot, Brendan Nolan, as a hero and quite rightly so; he had managed to get them through a random Act of God without so much as a scrape. Britannia Airways generously offered all those on board £1,500 for the distress they had suffered.
It's An Outrage!! then to discover that one of the passengers, Mrs Jane Griffiths, has slammed this offer. She believes that to be offered such a small amount of money after all she and her two daughters have been through is a 'disgusting, disgraceful insult'. She apparently feels like telling Britannia to 'stick it', because they 'all thought we were going to die'.
The point here I feel is that she thought wrongly, and she didn't die, nor did she fracture anything or lose any functionality in any part of her body; she didn't even break a fingernail.
Now, it is no doubt upsetting at the time to be involved in any sort of crash landing (given that the word 'crash' is in there), especially if the plane breaks up in the process. But, that is the inherent risk in choosing to fly, and we all take it every time we step on board.
Mental anguish, you say? Did someone mention psychological trauma? When Mrs Griffiths gave her comments to the press, she was busy packing - she was due to fly to Spain on holiday the following afternoon.
If I were Britannia, I would indeed stick my compensation; in pesetas, and one by one...
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