Evidently the airport perimeter had been breached and hundreds, if not more, Afghans swarmed the tarmac and then eventually clung to the landing gear on the airplane.
There is a story of just one of the individuals who fell from the plane after it took off. My assumption had been that the individuals who chose not to jump off of the plane as it started its takeoff roll were uneducated and not informed about aerodynamics, etc., and that if the plane continued they would be unable to remain on it.
However, this one young man was a dentist who was desperate to get out of Afghanistan. Therefore, he was definitely not uneducated, although being a dentist does not make you an aeronautical engineer. Education does, however, help you think and make good judgment calls.
Which is where I transition to thinking about disasters and people’s reactions during them. There are many heroes who jump into a crisis and danger to try and rescue someone or something, like an animal. They put their lives at personal risk. Did they think through all the possible consequences? Likely not. As a father, if I saw my child or grandchild drowning I would risk my life to try to save them, even knowing that I’m not a good swimmer to begin with.
Amanda Ripley has a terrific book, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why. In parts of the book she reviews situations where everyday people became heroes at the risk of their own lives. Let’s also be clear, some of these heroes, like the dentist above, die trying to help others. I would say that generally these people act without thinking of the possible consequences to themselves.
I’m sure some physiologist or sociologist can explain these behaviors. Maybe it is when desperation overcomes fear or rational thoughts.
