What Ethics in Aviation Mean to Me
Ethics is defined by Webster's dictionary as a set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values. To me, ethics is having the integrity to uphold yourself to do the right thing, even when nobody is looking. Making ethical decisions ensures a job is done properly and people are kept safe as a result. Working in aviation maintenance, we constantly make decisions that could impact the lives of many people whom we have never met. Many people want to work quickly and, as a result, whether intentionally or not, end up doing procedures improperly. Having good ethics ensures maintenance procedures are done correctly and constantly inspected, so pilots, aircrew, and their families never have to worry about a problem with the aircraft leading to an accident that could change their lives forever. I'm choosing to discuss Alaska Airlines Flight 261, as it could have been prevented by proper maintenance. On January 21st, 2000, at 1...