The Dying Passenger Essay
The issue here is a man supposed to make a decision of saving a life or not, but the basis on which to make that decision is torn between two options. As a human being, he is duty bound to all life and should do something to save the dying passenger abode his flight. The action has to go against his professional ethics because he has been advised against taking the very decision that can save the passenger, as this would also risk the other lives abode the plane.
Mike has three options,
• He could follow what the Denver controller had advised. Stay aloft and on course to his destination and hope for the best that the patient does not turn for the worse while providing the best medical attention available.
• Mike could demand an emergency landing for a medical evacuation. Although this puts the lives of other passengers at risk because of the weather problem, Mike feels confident he can make a safe landing. Given his experience, this is a viable option.
• Mike could alternatively deviate from the planned course and seek out nearby places that have relatively good weather to make a safe landing possible. Doing so would endanger the people abode the plane less and would also seek to provide medical attention to the dying patient.
The best option is to demand an emergency landing for the medical evacuation as Mike feels confident he can land the plane safely without too much risk to the other passengers. He admits the weather is a problem, but not one he is not ready to meet. Given his experience in flight of both civil and military aircraft, I can trust that his judgment is correct.
In conclusion, I based my decision on duty-driven ethics. It is Mike’s human bound duty I believe to save the dying passenger if he thinks he can do so. The question that goes through my mind from Mike’s perspective is, to whom does Mike owe service and what service does he owe them? I think his duty under the circumstances is to the dying passenger.
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