BBC Radio 4 reporting of FR737 Depressurisation

[OFSO]

Tried to post this on FR depressurisation thread, won't go, so posting it here:

I've just sent the following text to BBC Radio 4 regarding the reporting of the incident yesterday:


I wish to protest strongly about the quality of the "interview" of a Ryanair representative by Ed Stourton this morning (26.8.08). Stourton seemed to be unable to grasp that when an aircraft experiences a loss of pressure, the crew immediately don they supplementary oxygen masks and are therefore unable to make a PA announcement until the aircraft has descended below 10,000'. This is why information on use of oxygen masks is made before take-off. Maybe Stourton should have sought out some passengers and asked them why they didn't pay attention to the briefing. As for citing an arctic explorer - how does this qualify him to have a special ability to comment ? The Ryanair crew behaved in a most professional manner in making a rapid controlled descent (note: the aircraft did not "plummet" as the BBC is fond of saying) and as for Ed Stourton - take him out of the program until he learns something about unbiased interviewing.

[GwynM]

I tend to be a 5Live man myself, and it seemed they gave Pen hadow a lot of airtime, and Ryanair almost none.

However, if you think reporting on aviation is poor, try listening to any stories about science, where a bunch of arts or humanities graduates can't understand basic scientific facts and go off on totally the wrong tack.

Admittedly, to show ignorance, I remember years ago a politician complaining that the government was failing in education because half of pupils were still below average.:ugh:

[Guest 112233]

Like the prev Posts , I herd the interview in its entireity and The Today presenter interviewing MOL did not seem to grasp that the Flight & Cabin Crew were following a set pre ordained proceedures and that the first priority in a situation like this is to A) get the aircraft to safely to an altitude were the occupants could breathe without additional Oxygen. B)Avoid Crew incapaciation. C) land Safely ASAP. Furthermore I got the impression; during the early part of the interview by the pasenger interviewed, that the onboard Oxygen system did not provide oxygen in all instances - This implication was not followed up explicitly by E Sturton. - I will listen again and edit the post accordingly - There was a bias by E Sturton in the interview on first listening.(Only one Pax interviewed on radio 4 Today in the item.)
I wil be back - Poor reportage By the BBC. - CATIII.

This is the interview.(About 1H.35 Mins In) (Just a listen again link - MODS)

iPlayer Radio Console (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00d3nwf)

Decide for yourself.

[OFSO]

Gwyn wrote: However, if you think reporting on aviation is poor, try listening to any stories about science, where a bunch of arts or humanities graduates can't understand basic scientific facts and go off on totally the wrong tack.

I was an engineer with the European Space Agency (ESA) for 25 years and the rubbish written in the British press about ESA was unbelievable. The same was NOT so true of the German and French press. When one sees the utter nonsense printed about the 5% one knows about, it doesn't do much confidence for the other 95%.

One additional problem is that the British resent anyone who makes a success of a business - they would be happier if we were all failures - so O'Leary is a natural target for the media. Again, ESA successes were hardly given a mention by BBC, ITV, etc., but the rare launch failure was alwys a major headline.

RaF (No connection with Ryanair - but we use the airline a lot)

[jaydoubleyou]

I too was annoyed with the Today Programme and the reporting of the FR737 incident. This non event was No1 or No2 lead in R4 news well past the end of Today at 09:00. Clearly it was a corporate decision to make so much of it, but giving the interviews to Stourton was perhaps a deliberate provocation of the more informed section of the audience. His whole approach to any aviation interviewee seems to be "this was a horrifying experience" or "you must have been terrified" then he leads the subject into some pre-conceived "nightmare" story.
The reason I was so annoyed by his coverage today was that it is not the first time with him. I remember at least one other recent item in which some other routine aviation glitch became an attempt to elicit horror stories from "Shocked Survivors"
Maybe he dislikes the aviation industry or is just afraid of flying, either way, he should get a more balanced attitude, which, to be fair, he has in other news where he is an excellent reporter and interviewer.
Perhaps we should simply award Edward Stourton the office of BBC Holiday Jet Plunge Correspondent!

[A2QFI]

The aviation correspondent of a national broadsheet, while writing about a different incident, referred to hydraulic wiring! Where do they find these dipsticks?

[James 1077]

Having said all of this I do think that the "in the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure" announcement should be amended slightly to say that "masks like this will drop out of the overhead panel and the plane may descend suddenly with no notice from the pilot; place the mask over your face and mouth before helping those beside you ..."

This is because every time we have a depressurisation story there is talk of planes plummeting out of the sky and people don't seem to get that this is perfectly normal procedure. And obviously the pilot isn't going to say anything as he is too busy trying to save everyone's lives!

[beamender99]

.....the pilot isn't going to say anything as he is too busy trying to save everyone's lives!


One aspect of this, that was pointed out in the big thread on the subject but needs repeating is that the crew are busy with ATC so that they can find a clear save path down to 8000ft rather than "plop" themselves on some other A/C below.
I think SLF think you just immediately put the nose down and that will be OK because it is an emergency.

[Globaliser]

I think SLF think you just immediately put the nose down and that will be OK because it is an emergency.Unfortunately, there are many SLF who think that simply boarding an aircraft is the start of a near-death experience. The instant anything goes wrong, it'll be panic on all sides, including hysterical screaming on the flight deck. No room for any cool, calm or collected thinking or action, let alone any well-rehearsed and practised procedures that just happen to involve a very high workload.

Me, I blame Hollywood for this.

[Goffee]

>"The aviation correspondent of a national broadsheet, while writing about a different incident, referred to hydraulic wiring! Where do they find these dipsticks?"

Please note that sub-editors, editors and other maniacs often get involved in a story when it leaves the writer. So, what appears in print may not be what was intended in the original version, then again!!!!!