No The 737-800 Can't Land Itself

People that fly today are under the impression that its fairly easy to hop on a plane and get anywhere they want safely and securely. They get that impression because most pilots are professional and operate by the book. Accidents are something we only think about when we see them every 6 or 9 months on the nightly news. While today's flying is extremely safe its important to remember that WHO is flying the plane makes all the difference. When you book a flight in the US you have reasonable assurances that the captain is capable and highly trained and for most of the mainline flights you are correct. However regional airlines and foreign airlines you just don't know. Case in point the above video on the Turkish Air Boeing 737-800 that crashed last year on final to Schiphol. This modern plane fell out of the sky with 2 captains and a co pilot all in the cockpit. This video animation shows how a small technical issue led to a major airline accident on Feb. 25, 2009. While my point is not to scare anyone it is to do your homework when choosing an airline. Its not always the price of the ticket in determining which airline to fly. Especially overseas where maintenance can be spotty at best and the regulation of airlines and air traffic can be non existent.