February 20, 2019
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Captain Cyrano Latiff

- Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D .

----- I met Cyrano over email in 2004, shortly after I published the Handbook for Human Services Response . Cyrano sent a note explaining that he had read the book and wanted to communicate with me about his experience as a crew member survivor of the crash of Singapore Flight 006. All I knew about the accident was what I had seen in the media coverage. I was anxious to communicate with Cyrano as I knew I would learn about how the disaster had affected him and his family—I had no idea how much Cyrano would teach me about the value of faith, family, friends, and perseverance in the aftermath of an enormous loss.
----- As with most significant tragedies, by accessing the internet—anyone can learn about the accident and find details and videos about the crash as well as what was ultimately determined to be the probable cause. Like most survivors of air disasters that I have interviewed, Cyrano’s physical survival on the evening of January 31, 2000, was the beginning of a new life for himself and his family, albeit not one he would have chosen. I feel privileged to share his story about how his strong faith and the support of his family and airline pilots helped him survive emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually . In Cyrano’s own words, “It has been a journey since that night. I have taken one step at a time.”

We must normalize depression, so people get the help and support they need long before hopelessness sets in.
-Paul Quinnett, Ph.D.  
Founder & CEO, QPR Institute

The Crash
----- October 31, 2000, began as a typical day for Cyrano. At 23:17 local Taipei time the Boeing-747 bound for Los Angeles, CA rolled down the runway carrying 179 passengers, 14 cabin crew and three pilots. Cyrano remembers communicating to air traffic control that “SQ006 was lined up and ready to go”. There was no doubt in his mind, with checklist completed, they were ready for a normal takeoff.
----- “After V1, when we were at rotation speed, I saw an object. I remember trying to imagine what could be below the aircraft? I remember hearing the sound of screeching metal, and then the aircraft smashed back down on the runway. I remember the cockpit was very dark. The aircraft was spinning around. We did not know what direction we were facing. And then the aircraft stopped.”
----- Cyrano's account of the accident at this point showed how distorted the entire scene was for him and the other two pilots. The only light which allowed him to see, came from the fire aft of the cockpit—the blazing flames, plus the sound of metal when the fuselage hit the pavement was the only way he knew they had crashed. The pilots would later learn that the aircraft had taken off from a runway that was under construction—and not useable. Years of examination by investigators and human factors psychologists would show how this happened. In trying to avoid the worst of the winds and rain from the typhoon over the area, the crew had drifted to a position that caused them to take off from the wrong runway. Instead of taking off on the assigned runway of 05L, the captain turned 215 meters (705 feet) too soon and lined up with 05R. Because the airport was not equipped with ground radar, the air traffic controllers were not able to monitor the aircraft movements on the ground.

The Escape
----- Cyrano remembers hearing footsteps behind them. He had a mental model of the aircraft, intact—nothing around him matched this picture. The display panel, which would typically provide information about the aircraft systems, and the cabin was completely dark, like everything around him. The only light came from the fire. He remembers his headset flying off the back of his head as he grabbed his flashlight from his flight bag and fled the cockpit.
----- Once out of the cockpit, there was sheer pandemonium all around him. With his flashlight, Cyrano could see the emergency escape slides mounted to the passenger entry doors. Neither were inflated nor appeared workable. When Cyrano tried to kick the left escape slide out, he fell out onto the tarmac.
----- Outside the aircraft with no easy way to re-enter, Cyrano tried to help many passengers, including one man who was trapped under the debris of the left wing. He pointed out injured people to the first responders who were quickly on the spot. He alerted them to one man whose entire body was ablaze with fire. As Cyrano surveyed the crash site, he felt overwhelmed and powerless—he felt he had something to accomplish, but was unable to do anything helpful. Jet fuel was burning all around him. He remembers dropping low to the ground to move through the fire and perhaps find others to help. This proved to be futile as the black smoke and fumes that were entering his lungs, left him coughing and unsteady on his feet.
----- Unable to help any of the passengers and cabin crew, Cyrano considered running back into the burning aircraft and dying with the others. Miraculously, he called out `Ya Allah!’ and in that instant, he was overwhelmed with a sense of calm and stillness. He felt that this was the moment his rational brain kicked in. He knew at once that he would be able to go on, handling one thing at a time. Cyrano had a knowing in that instant that his car, home, and all material possessions were no longer critical. Despite the many years of what at times seemed nearly unbearable, Cyrano never considered suicide again—his family and other pilots supported him as he struggled to regain his equilibrium and take charge of his new life. 
 
Our need to belong to valued groups and relationships is so powerful that, if frustrated or thwarted, serious adverse health consequences follow.

-Paul Quinnett, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, QPR Institute

The First Night of the Crash
----- A Taiwanese airline ground staff drove Cyrano and the other pilots to the terminal building. They were soaked from the rain and smelled of smoke and jet fuel. The ground team provided them with jackets as the temperatures had dropped and Cyrano remembers being quite cold. As the pilots entered the terminal, they saw passengers and a few cabin attendants. While they wanted to ask about the condition of those still on the aircraft, it was too soon as the rescue and recovery phase was still in progress.
----- One local aviation investigator approached the pilots with questions. Knowing it was not the time nor place, they left with the ground staff for the hospital. Cyrano only then noticed that he had sustained a deep cut, and blood was dripping from his hand. After a doctor stitched his hand, with no other injuries, the pilots were released. They were then driven to a nearby hotel and given separate accommodations for the night. Cyrano remembers calling his wife, Cyrena who spoke with a weak voice. She had learned of the accident when she saw it on television. He assured her that he was okay and asked her to look after his parents and the family. 
----- Alone without warm, dry clothing or any other comforts, Cyrano prayed all night. He wondered if he could survive— “would he go insane?” He had no idea what lay ahead.

The Morning After the Crash
------ The next morning, still wearing wet clothes—trousers, shirt, shoes, and underwear, the pilots met with the prosecutor. Still unable to comprehend what had caused the crash, they could provide little information other than what they thought had been a routine takeoff. It would be two full weeks before they would be allowed to listen to the cockpit voice recorder. Cyrano broke down when he heard his own voice, communicating to the tower that they were ready for departure. As hard it was to listen to, it was affirming to know that they had covered the checklist and maintained a sterile cockpit—of this they could be reassured and feel a sense of peace.
----- That same morning, a pilot for the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) met with them. He was assigned to support them as they were interrogated by the investigators and the prosecutor. He remained with them during the entire investigation. Cyrano described feeling an unspoken sense of respect when he met the ALPA pilot.
----- 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.

Connections and promises of the future help to buffer distressed people against attempting suicide.
-Paul Quinnett, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, QPR Institute

Critical Support…Family
----- 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. "Yes, she said, "there is the crash. And then there is your life. The two are not 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.

Family Assistance Foundation Symposium, 2005
----- Cyrano, his wife Cyrena, and their two-year-old baby Deeno, joined us for the 2005 Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. We would learn later that this was his first travel out of the country since being released from house arrest. It was also the first time that Cyrano shared his story from start to finish with people who had no agenda, other than to give him our full attention.
----- Cyrano spoke to a packed room and told his story of the crash and his life since that tragic night. He expressed his sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. As well as his regret over the physical and emotional injuries so many sustained. He also described the challenges he and the flight crew faced in coming to understand how their error led to the enormous suffering.
----- In his heartfelt account about the crash, there was never a time when Cyrano ducked the responsibility for his actions or tried to place blame on anyone else. When he talked about lining up with the correct runway and being ready for takeoff, there was no doubt in any of the listeners’ minds that this was fact. And judging by the audience's reaction, we all understood that the accident indeed was just that—an accident. I say that because as he finished his presentation, as if on queue, we, the audience rose to our feet and applauded him. I noticed that Cyrena was crying, as well as myself, and others in attendance. A shared sense of human vulnerability permeated the room as Cyrano left the stage. The theme that seemed to hang in the air was the age-old compassionate saying, “There but by the grace of God, go I.”
----- I stood back and watched as people stood in line to express their feelings and gratitude to him for sharing such a deeply personal story that could not be dismissed with a joke at the end or a happy ending to the suffering. I could not help but notice that one of the first people—if not the first, who personally shook Cyrano’s hand was Captain Everett Feltham. Everett, a newly retired TWA Captain, had commanded the Boeing 747 for many successful take-offs and landings. While I could not hear what he whispered as he took Cyrano’s hand, I knew that like the first ALPA representative who approached Cyrano and his crew after the accident, there was an unspoken, mutual respect, and understanding that required no words.
----- In the fall of 2017, I had occasion to meet Shereen, Cyrano’s daughter who was twenty-five years old. She was eight years old at the time of the crash. She was studying film and attending a month-long school in New York, NY. The devoted father that he is, Cyrano accompanied her and remained with her while she studied in New York. Since I was capturing Cyrano’s story on video for the Foundation’s customized aviation program on depression awareness and suicide prevention training (QPR), I asked if I could interview Shereen, since she was there. 
----- When I asked Shereen how the crash and the investigation had affected her, she looked at me as if she did not understand my question. She quickly told me that it was only after she was old enough to access the internet and read about the crash that she had any idea of the stress her parents had gone through. She remembers going with her mother and two brothers to visit her father while he was in Taipei, right after the crash. But she had no idea what the trip was all about. During the two years that Cyrano was home, on house arrest, she just thought he wanted to remain home with the family.
----- Shereen was mature enough by this time to understand and appreciate on some level the enormous stress her parents had been under. In her own words, she explained what great parents they were, in the way they shielded their children from the worst of it. Shereen went on to say that should she become a parent someday, she hoped that she would do as well in protecting her own children from adult problems that otherwise might harm their lives.
----- With over thirty years of interviewing families where fatal aviation disasters have destroyed lives after the original death toll was taken, I don't remember a time when parents were able to provide as healthy an environment for their children, as Cyrano and Cyrena were able to do. They indeed are a remarkable family.

The Support of Other Pilots
----- Starting with the ALPA pilot who stood beside the flight crew from the beginning, other pilots provided a network that was unmatched in its value to Cyrano’s sense of hope. The airline assigned Cyrano and the pilots a “buddy," the term used to describe the company’s employee support team members. As expected, the pilots grew very close to Captain Freddy, their “buddy”. And when Cyrano spoke at Captain Freddy’s retirement dinner, a hush fell over the audience. While it is impossible to know what lay behind the silence from the group—later events would provide insight into how difficult it was for many people to relate to the situation.
----- After Cyrano left the dinner, according to Captain Freddy, people were looking for him—to speak privately. And around the same time, several years after the accident, a female Singapore Airline executive approached him with an apology. She explained that she had just attended a human factor workshop and learned how mistakes like the one that led to the crash of Singapore Flight 6 happened. "It has taken me 15 years to forgive you for the crash. And now I understand that it really was an accident." 
----- It is possible that the uncomfortable silence that followed Cyrano’s speech at Captain Freddy’s retirement dinner reflected the ambivalence still felt by some toward the pilots of SQ 006. Like the executive mentioned above, some people have trouble understanding mistakes—and how they happen. And then some may have wanted to see the pilots as villains, instead of three men who did their best, but whose mistake led to a fatal crash—and it was the first in the airline’s history.
----- Despite the name calling and lack of understanding during much of the investigative proceedings, Cyrano felt at times, there was compassion. Even with the confusion from translators and complications with the different languages, Cyrano often thought those tasked with trying to unravel the mystery of how three professional pilots, while doing their best, could make such a fatal mistake, were feeling empathy for them. Understanding by other professional aviators and investigators, coupled with unconditional love from his family and the firm base of faith provided the foundation that allowed Cyrano to live during the darkest times.

Integration: Cyrano Today
----- 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. 
About QPR

QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer, and is a research-based intervention that anyone can learn. If you are interested in learning more about how to become a Gatekeeper and becoming part of a more extensive network that is dedicated to suicide prevention, please contact us. T he Foundation works with the QPR Institute to customize this successful intervention for cruise lines, aviation companies, human resources professionals, and other workplace groups. To learn more about the training classes offered by the Family Assistance Foundation, and for information about upcoming Gatekeeper classes and how you can become a trainer within your workplace go to  fafonline.org . You can also contact Cheri Johnson at  cheri.johnson@aviem.com .

Upcoming Gatekeeper Trainings

Burbank Gatekeeper Training
April 3, 2019

Burbank Train-the-Trainer
April 3, 2019

Atlanta Gatekeeper Training
Dates to be determined, Fall 2019

Atlanta Train-the-Trainer Training
Dates to be determined, Fall 2019

QPR Gatekeeper and Train-the-Trainer Training will be offered at additional locations when additional dates for Foundation Member-Partner Meetings are announced for 2019.

© 2019 QPR Institute Inc./Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation