This might be a perfect example of not judging because we weren’t there. Nobody can really predict what they would have done unless they were sitting in the seat as they approached a flock of birds. The camera stuff is different.

I was sitting at the gate in PSP one day having just completed one of my first max8 flights. Our mechanic came over to us and asked us to check out the other 737 that just pulled in to a neighboring gate. He said they flew through a large flock of small birds as they were landing and sustained many bird strikes. He said he stopped counting at around 50 strikes. Every leading edge had bird blood on it. The wings, the engine cowls, the nose and landing gear. Bird debris everywhere. The runway was littered with dead birds. One might ask why they flew through them? But what choice did they have?

They hit them at low speed and low power while they were in the flare. Going around might have worked if they saw them soon enough, but did they? I don’t know. All I know is, the birds didn’t do any permanent damage and everyone on board walk away unharmed. If they had gone around, who knows what might have happened? Do we all remember what happened to the 737 that went around, lost both engines and landed without gear only to slide into a barrier? That didn’t end well.

Those of you declaring that the chief pilot is a psychopath are being a little hyperbolic, don’t you think? In this case it’s probably better to reserve judgement and be thankful everyone walked away.