ABSTRACT
The Milgram obedience experiments demonstrate that the willingness of individuals in our society to obey authority figures regardless of the consequences is surprisingly strong. One context for this obedience dynamic is the airplane cockpit. The situation of a captain with too much authority who is in error can have disastrous consequences. Dangerously high levels of obedience to erring captains have been noted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In fact, as will be discussed later, a review of airplane accidents in the United States by the NTSB indirectly suggests that destructive obedience causes up to 25% of all plane crashes.
