Latest Channel 4 (i.e. ITN) SPECULATION was that water contamination was a POSSIBILITY. It is also reporting (seemingly as a fact ?) that both engines failed (?????)
My main point is, however, that whilst idle speculation and praising or blaiming of individuals or companies it is a natuaral outcome of the lack of information.
There is no possible way that any industry can keep the media, and especially the 24-hours per day TV outlets content. However, NOT giving out basic facts and known non-controversial facts is really only basic
PR. The fact that whilst the BBC 1 o'clock news at about 1.15 yesterday (i.e. half-an-hour after the event) was stating that both engines had failed, but that since then no further non-controversial facts have been released merely gives rise to speculation (and even the 2 engine failure has not been really confirmed)..
Someone further up the thread posted something like "non-serious crash, no one dead" which is very naive. First it was a very serious crash, and secondly it happened in an area which was always going to attract attention.
Eye witnesses are notoriously unreliable (let alone imposters). It would seem that the range of comments from those that wished to be interviewed ranged from "very rough, we feel lucky to be alive" through to " rough landing, we only knew how rough when the oxygen masks (and some panels) came down".
These things get people watching news programmes and buying newspapers - with BA and BAA not giving out basic information the media has to do something (however despicable others might feel about that). All BA/BAA had to do was try to give out CONTROLLED information and time it for main news reports and newspaper print runs. Pop star publicists can do this, but somehow huge multi-million pound companies can't be bothered.
No one expects a detailed listing of every possibility, but basic information with timetables of likely, but not guaranteed actions, at least ties journalists down to limiting their speculation.
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As an aside I am very surprised that with all the enthusiasts around the airport there are no copies of tower voice converstaions or videos of the landing - maybe the yucky weather had them all in the local chippies.
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