A couple of thoughts
Some AOC operators have it written in their Ops Manuals that crew are to be quarantined after an accident or incident, this may explain why no one at company seems to know anything.
I had a look and the AAIB special bulletin on G-BLUN took over a month to release, so perhaps a couple of days after the fact is being a bit over optimistic, yes they probably have an idea, but what are they supposed to do ? publish their feelings without much supporting evidence and then get criticised for releasing incorrect information.
Regardless of what actually happened and I have no idea what did, one thing to think about is that although the crew are alive and well and may well make credible witnesses, I was recently on a course with a pilot who put a 10 tonne plus helicopter into the sea, he had the presence of mind to write up what happened while he was in hospital later that day, his was a controlled ditching for a given reason, when they fished it out of the sea what he thought had happened wasn't quite how he recalled it even though he specifically spent the time to write it up. I think that has a lesson for all of us who may be involved in aircraft accidents. In particular with regard to jumping to conclusions (or the lack of them).
I sincerely doubt any North Sea operator with the spotlight on them like this would withhold flight safety information relating to a type the competition operates, there may be communications behind the scenes that no one knows about yet, but it would be good for the guys who have to get in them and fly them to know what they think is going on.
If (big If) there is no communication between the operators, you would imagine they have noticed that this has happened, someone, somewhere must have decided its not a problem for their fleets to keep flying as it would be more than embarassing to find out later there was a flight safety issue and they kept on flying, and yes I am playing devils advocate here, but I don't expect the senior managers of one operator decide whether the others keep on flying, if the others are bothered they would surely stop of their own accord.
And before anyone asks, I have no North Sea experience , and have never flown anything bigger than a 109, I am just trying to look at this with a balanced set of eyes (and perhaps failing).
GS
PS I Wholeheartedly disagree with the media bringing the captains personal life into this, if it is an issue that really is for the AAIB to look at, not them. I am sure that we all have in our personal lives stuff that the whole country has no bloody business knowing about.
Last edited by VeeAny; 22nd Feb 2009 at 06:40.
Reason: Missed words out.