Moral Dilemma - The Hijacked Plane

[Josy]

Yes we've had moral dilemmas in the past so some may be repeats but we have different members now and possibly different opinions on stuff so here goes...

The Hijacked Plane

You are on a plane containing 150 people, currently flying over barren desert. Hijackers take over, killing the pilot and co-pilot, and sealing themselves in the cockpit. There is no way for you to open the door, but you could damage the ventilation system causing poisonous fumes to fill the cockpit. If you do this the hijackers will die, but with no-one able to enter the cockpit and fly the plane, it will crash in the desert killing everyone on board. If you do nothing, the hijackers might land the plane safely, or they might crash it into a civilian target killing even more people.

What should you do?

[Kazanne]

Ide have to take my chances and hope the hijackers land if safely , that way people could survive , the other way I would be dead as would all the rest

[Alf]

Sh1t myself.

[Niamh.]

Take my chances with the hijackers

[Oliver_W]

This reminds me of an idea John Cleese once floated for a Fawlty Towers reunion -

Basil, Sybil, and Polly were going to Spain to visit Manuel. Before takeoff, a hijacker holds up the plane. Basil manages to overpower the hijacker (should be Sybil!) and says "let's go then!" But they can't take off now, for various reasons. Basil is so angry he takes the gun, and forces the pilot to fly to Spain anyway.

He gets arrested, and spends two weeks in a prison cell while the other three have a great time.