Rex Mid Air Scare - Who writes this CR@P!!

[Jabawocky]

Surely this is now going a little too far.

Mid-air scare for Nine weatherman (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/823700/mid-air-scare-for-nine-weatherman)

After the lack of media exposure to the Emirates 1 second from massive fatalities (that would be a more realistic headline), the industry, and Rex in particular gets this hyped up BS.

And for the life of me, my kids know you do not retract flap for landing :ugh:.

Please, someone who works for Rex, take this to your senior management and get them to take the media to task for false reporting or something. If you advertised with such misinformation you would pay a steep penalty, yet they get away with anything.

J:mad:

[Mr. Hat]

Steve Jacobs, if you are reading - you're a w@nker.

And while I'm at it stop turning up late to flights. You are the airline industry's pet hate.

[ditzyboy]

Rasing flaps for landing?

Good to see someone in the know is reporting on such issues. :ugh:

[SuperStinker]

he cant get the wx right so now he moving on to aviation

what a tool!

[mmhbtower]

last time i looked "MID AIR" ment that two planes got too close to each other.

steve you wang kerr

[Offchocks]

Well it is the usual standard of journalism we have had for years, however credit where credit is due, he did say:

"The pilots were fantastic" :)

[assasin8]

Hey, it could have been MUCH worse... There could have been a politician on board!

Now that would have made the front page!

Bless their hearts - or should that be heart, singular?:cool:

[NOT WITHSTANDING]

Must have been an emergency...

"touched down safely in the Riverina town."

I used to land at Griffith Airport!:ok:

And couldn't let this go ...
"they had to use the last drop of fluid just to get the wheels to drop down to land,"

I always manage the flight path to achieve the same, maybe I should start using all that fluid to get a greaser!

[gutso-blundo]

I'm sure in Journalist school they teach them to research fact, instead of conjure opinion.
Why must everything be so hyped up these days? Is it like the sugar content of Coke going slowly up as we get used to the sweetness?

And while I'm at it, the real story (I'm talking about EK at MEL here) goes relatively unreported. FFS the fact that over 200 people very nearly died seems less important than a relatively benign HYD fail just because there was a weatherman on board to witness it! :ugh:

[assasin8]

Oh come on, that "other" airline sponsors a great many sporting events... Wouldn't want to upset them with trivial news about almost killing 200 pax!:cool:

[an3_bolt]

We have a tendency in Australia to whine and complain about things to people who are not able to do something about it.

Posting on Pprune regarding inaccurate and sensationalist reporting is most probably preaching to the converted.

How about a better way:

contact mediawatch @ abc

Also a formal complaint to the TV licensee concerned would be appropriate.

The appropriate code of practice:

http://www.freetv.com.au/media/Code_of_Practice/Revised_Code_of_Practice_(including_amendment_for_freeview_c lause)_241108.pdf

There is no need to accept factually inaccurate reporting.

[Angle of Attack]

And it is Channel 9 / ninemsn by the way, could hardly call them journalists the bunch from any commercial network, they are just mouthpieces! an3 yeah your probably right it is preaching to the converted, good suggestion, I havent watched a commercial news broadcast for at least the last 5 years, just dribs and drabs changing channels or if I am in the presence of a TV somewhere that has got the junk showing! :ok:

[Jabawocky]

Part of the problem is we are headed towards internet news completely, even Rupert agrees, and that is where teh poor quality is coming from, mostly, however TV is not much better.

There is no easy way to "REPORT THIS POST" unlike here for example. If there is would someone point it out to me and I will go for it.

I really think the media need taking to task over this garbage, as it must not do the airlines any favours with this sort of cr@p being published.

J

[Stationair8]

No doubt ACA, will have an indepth exclusive interview tonight with three passengers on the flight, they will also interview Geoffery Thomas and have Dick Smith on about why it was Casa's fault and if the airspace rules had been changed it wouldn't have happened.

They will also interview the 19 year old girl that Mattie John's shagged with his mates in NZ, because she knows the blokes cousins second best friend's mate from school has actually seen a REX Saab.

Then this week on Sixty Minutes they will interview the survivors of the flight to Broken Hill, and next week they will do a garden makeover for one of the survivors as well.

Steve Jacobs will relaese a book in time for Christmas, mirale of REX Flight 6996 and it will be heavily promoted on the Today Show, Sea Patrol and the Kerry Anne show and not to mention all summer on the cricket. Steve will donate all proceeds to the Dumb Journalist'sAssociation, after his cut of course.

[Howabout]

Stationair8,

Are you sure you're not in 'aviation journalism?'

You seem to have an incredible level of insight into 'journalism,' 'aviation journalism' and the tabloid media - particularly from an ethics perspective. Maybe you're a producer on one of those incisive programs that leave no stone unturned to educate the great unwashed. These shows are compulsive viewing if one really wants to be informed regarding the 'facts' surrounding near catastrophes, such as this hair raising incident.

I know that if I was a wheel in the media I'd certainly identify as a 'golden haired boy/girl' any thruster that suggested we do the garden makeover thingy for one of the potential 'accident survivors.' Only an insider would think that one up.

And how did you know, for instance, that there's a Dumb Journalists Association?

C'mon, fess-up.

[Cargo744]

If anyone saw the Ch7 news tonight it now seems that there are "frightening" similarities between the Air France airbus and US Airways Airbus that crashed in the Hudson!!!! WHAT BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH AIRBUS'S (NOT EVEN THE SAME TYPE)!! They stated that they still can't understand why the two engines on the US Airbus stopped working... well maybe it has to do with a heap of Geese going through both enigines!

As for Steve (can't act so will be a weatherman) Jacobs... the less I hear from this oxygen thief the better. REX should have left without him!

I'll calm down and go back to a nice bottle of red....

[Howabout]

Cargo744,

Beat you by 6 whites. Why do we bother?

[socks and thongs]

Prefer some of his earlier work. A close look at his CV reveals he played a part 15 years ago in the tv show RFDS. I guess that's where the wealth of aviation knowledge comes from.

Nothing more annoying than people who know a little bit about everything. I am sure he'd be the person to try to talk shop with a pilot and drop some serious lingo like 'what equipment are you on', and 'do you want to go commercial one day'.

Where are these miniature TV people coming from anyway? Are Steve Jacobs and Grant Denyer the same person? Jesus help us they're multiplying.

[Zoomy]

Sounds like this guy is to Rex as the mad bad Bob Katter was to Macair, not turning up on time for flights ectect.

:}

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Well, I for one, am VERY pleased that not one of the SLF or the CREW were injured.........................????????????:eek::D:D

Cheers

[Under Dog]

Don't quite understand. I didn't think the SYD to BHI track went any where near GTH.


The Dog:rolleyes:

[JetA_OK]

He may well be a cock head that doesn't know anything - but it sounds like he got some of his info from those who should know better. How would he know that the flaps have been manually extended if he hadn't been told by someone eager to shoot his/her mouth off?

[capt.cynical]

Pleaseee Can we have a sequel to "Frontline" the best current affairs program ever produced. ;):D

[tail wheel]

Don't whinge here - tell Mr Jacob's boss what you think:

today (at) nine.com.au

[YPJT]

Pleaseee Can we have a sequel to "Frontline" the best current affairs program ever produced
capt.cynical, you beat me to it:ok:
Any journalist will tell you that Frontline was so close to the truth it was damn scary.
If ever something in the media p1sses me off, I just watch a couple of episodes again to put the whole reporting thing into perspective.

[Macrage]

Underdog,

If you do the Glenfield 6 departure at Sydney and get direct tracking to Broken Hill it takes you within about 75m of Griffith. The weather was a bit crappy that night with Inter's and Tempo's at just about everywhere in NSW so perhaps at the time of the incident Griffith was their nearest 'suitable' aerodrome after considering all factors. With a hydraulic problem perhaps runway length also played a part in the choice to goto Griffith?

[Under Dog]

Macrage
Thanks for the insight I was of the understanding that Rex's BHI flights went via DBO but obviously this was going direct.


The Dog :ok:

[A-Thousand-To-Go]

The day service goes via DBO, however the overnighter (which is the service in question here) is direct.

[FGD135]

Here we go again. Ppruners up in arms over a press report.

Yes, the report was sensationalist. But, what else could you expect? To expect it NOT to be sensationalist is like expecting a salesman, for some product, to NOT sprout sales pitch.

... he played a part 15 years ago in the tv show RFDS. I guess that's where the wealth of aviation knowledge comes from.Is he required to have aviation knowledge? You need to realise that most of the media have negligible aviation knowledge - so, naturally, they will describe things in ways that we wouldn't.

Nothing more annoying than people who know a little bit about everything.So what's your suggestion? They should become fully qualified pilots before they're allowed to make an aviation related report?

There is no easy way to "REPORT THIS POST" unlike here for example.On what grounds would you be reporting it? Because it was sensationalist? Because it was not factual? How was it "not factual"?

contact mediawatch @ abcMediawatch would not be the slightest bit interested in that story.

There is no need to accept factually inaccurate reporting.Which bit was "factually inaccurate"?

[Jabawocky]

Tail Wheel and anyone wanting to blast the ninemsn folk..... coz I just have:ok:

[email protected]

At least the JQ A330 has been better reported...I think :uhoh:

Edit: Try news . feedback @ ninemsn . com . au just remove the spaces!

[Cpt Chaos]

FGD if we restrict comment in the news to only qualified prof pilots then may I suggest we do the same in pprune :rolleyes: The only problem with that of course would be that most of the wannabes that post in D & G would be excluded so the post rate would drop by about 90%.

My god have I unexpectedly come across a cure for the vast amount of drivel that is posted in the D & G forums on a daily basis?

[B043]

FGD = Steve Jacob's brother :}

[Cpt Chaos]

At the risk of turning into exactly the type of ppruner that I have no time for - SO?

[socks and thongs]

Thanks for all of that. Although I was having a bit of a lend of the situation, I am as serious as cancer about this. Either the guy was a passenger giving some impressions, or he was somebody with real knowledge of the situation. When he should be the first, but he wants to be the second, that's when problems start.

The point I want to stress is that when semi-pros such as our friend start throwing 'professional' opinions in there (that are more than likely completely inaccurate) because they want to piece together the events using a very shallow knowledge base, that is when stories take turns they shouldn't. In my opinion he has made a very poor and inaccurate report of what, although not a normal event, was one that didn't threaten the safety of anyone there and the process that followed turned out exactly as it should have. In the meantime, REX no longer look so appealing in the eyes of the travelling public.

How can you defend the journalistic integrity of this guy? No he doesn't have to be a professional to be able to report on a story but what he is doing is in the same league as a weatherman watching twister and going off and creating his own weather predictions based on raw data - it would never happen.

On what grounds would you be reporting it? Because it was sensationalist? Because it was not factual? How was it "not factual"?Insert Steve Jacobs transcript


"I had been running late for the flight in Sydney and they had to page me so I very nearly missed it ... I almost wish I had now":yuk:

[Jabawocky]

Exactly!

Maybe had they suffered a prop failure of some sort, fues punctured, rapid decompression and forced to land for whatever reason on a farm strip at night dodging kangaroo's.............. then we should see MID AIR SCARE as the headline.

I think the media need to use a "Check the Captains jocks" test. If he needs new ones, something worth reporting with a little alarming tone, otherwise.......its a day in their office! Move on!

Public perception is what matters in a lot of things, especially air travel, even though its so safe, the industry does not need this garbage.

I note no replies to my email from yesterday, they may get another copy every 24 hours until I get a sensible reply!:} Anyone else take the time to drop them a line? Anyone from Rex?

[FGD135]

... MID AIR SCARE as the headline.

Is that what you're jumping up and down about - the words "mid air scare"?

But it was a "SCARE", and it did happen "MID AIR".

Maybe not the words you or I would have used, but you need to realise that it was written by non-aviation folk for non-aviation folk.

I note no replies to my email from yesterday, they may get another copy every 24 hours until I get a sensible reply!
They will be scratching their heads in bewilderment at why you have emailed them. Care to post here what you have emailed to them?

[mention1]

Just getting back to nuts and bolts----

The Saab 340 has an electric motor that runs a Hyd pump. Just one. And there is a scenerio where the wheels are held retracted no matter what you do. The only aircraft I know of that does this btw. The abnormal checklist for hydraulics runs for about 5 pages and is a nightmare.

So well done crew!

Now if this happened and the diversion to Coffs happened shouldn't we be looking at the Saab??? and its age???

[FGD135]

How can you defend the journalistic integrity of this guy?

He was not the journalist but a passenger. The journalist ("ninemsn staff") was the person that wrote the story. Jacobs was a convenient "witness".

As for his statement "manually raised the flaps for landing": I wouldn't get too excited about it. Witnesses often say strange things. To the average person, all the movable surfaces on an aircraft are "flaps".

[Cpt Chaos]

Guys, this forum is about aviation, not journalistic integrity (I am sure there is a forum somewhere for that and that is where 50% of this thread should be NOT here).

Mention1 bloody good post, factual and informative!

Moderators do your job and clean up pprune!

[Howabout]

Cpt Chaos,

I disagree; jounalistic integrity can affect aviation. Scare stories don't do anything to enhance the general publics' opinion of what is an incredibly safe industry.

It's a legitimate beef. I think that the underlying desire of all contributors is to have someone out there, in one of the major media outlets, that actually knows what he/she is talking about.

Naive, I know; sensationalism will out-bid truth any day in the tabloid press.

It's only a personal observation; but your last post was somewhat anal.

[socks and thongs]

As for his statement "manually raised the flaps for landing": I wouldn't get too excited about it.FGD that's precisely what we're worried about. We wouldn't get too excited about it (because we know it's clearly complete ****e) but how can you speak for the millions of punters who watch 9 news and pay for tickets on REX flights?

No you're right, Steve Jacobs wasn't the journalist but do you think what he said had any less impact because he didn't 'type the story'? Again, the people aren't going to discount what he said just because he didn't type the 2 paragraphs below the video. As far as most people were concerned, Steve Jacobs did that story.

Steve Jacobs aside for a sec, look even at simple things like the camera work, it was spinning around him like the situation was out of control, to heighten the tension of all the viewers. It's complete and utter rubbish, the whole thing, and we certainly don't need it.

Cpt Chaos, how can you think this isn't aviation related? Poor reporting on little things like this directly damages the industry. Reporting on aviation needs to be done properly, for god's sake we have a segment of the news dedicated to what's going on in hollywood, and more often than not the same idiot that fills us in on Jen and Brad then moves on to explain how the metal pipes that stick out the side of the plane caused the Air France 330 to speed up out of control and break up.

As a loose comparison on aviation reporting, I was in France during the first few days after the AF447 accident, and the reporting there was a world away from the crap that we see in oz. I understand there is a huge difference between a catastrophic loss of life and an hydraulic failure, but nonetheless, the way it was approached there is like nothing I have ever seen. The first person they talked to was the head of the equivalent of the ATSB, followed over the next few days by pilots and professionals coming to explain the ACARS messages, pitot tubes, history of the 330 and so on. At the same time I thought back to Kochie talking about the QF 330 in WA and it made me shudder. Like I said, not a direct comparison but the differences in reporting is clearly evident. God forbid they'd want to tell the story as it happened.

Jaba, will certainly update if I hear anything back from these people.

[FGD135]

socks and thongs,

Good post. I think it is an unfortunate fact of life that most media will favour sensational stories and reporting. But this is because most of the public actually prefer it that way. This is the reality that we live in.

The only complaint that we can make of that REX story was that it was sensationalist. But, as I alluded to earlier, to expect no sensationalism is like expecting a car salesman to not lay on the sales pitch.

Without that high profile witness, I doubt the REX story ever would have made it to press.

A less sensationalist report (they do happen - subject to the whims of the media cycle) would probably not have carried any passenger interviews, but instead just given the bare facts, along with a statement from a REX spokesperson.

... the camera work, it was spinning around him like the situation was out of control, to heighten the tension of all the viewers. It's complete and utter rubbish, ...
I agree completely - but to use a phrase that you would normally only hear in media circles - it was "good television". And that, unfortunately for us on this occasion, is the business the TV stations are in - "good television" (!).

I was in France during the first few days after the AF447 accident, and the reporting there was a world away from the crap that we see in oz.
I would doubt that the commercial media would be any different there than here. Given the scale of the AF447 tragedy, a much more sombre approach to the reporting was required - especially in France - but that approach is also evident here.

A similar aviation tragedy, affecting Australia, would be reported like the Victorian bushfires were reported. Did anybody notice that the media personalities, reporting from the devasted towns in the days immediately after, weren't wearing makeup? Entirely deliberate of course, and all to help set the sombre tone.

[socks and thongs]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to a news story conducted on an ‘in flight emergency’ on board a Regional Express aircraft entitled ‘Mid-air scare for Nine weatherman’. I do not believe an event such as this warrants this type of story, regardless of what the eyewitness (who happened to be a Channel 9 employee) had experienced.

Hydraulic failure in an aircraft is very rarely a catastrophic event, and measures in the design of the aircraft are taken to ensure redundancies are in place so that failure does not prevent the aircraft from normal, albeit sometimes limited operation. There is absolutely no question that the events that took place on this flight were managed as they should have been and although the story was not an attack on the crew or company, I sincerely believe the airing of the story alone has put a mark on Regional Express. I certainly do not expect your reporters or indeed the general public to be experts on aviation issues, however, the approach that was taken with its mixture of fact and fiction may prove to be highly successful at taking what remains of confidence in the travelling public away, and indeed what at this time is absolutely critical business from operators such as Regional Express.

I do not work for Regional Express, nor do I have any interests in the company, however being passionate about the industry I find it extremely difficult to stand by while stories like this one are aired. I believe it is imperative that the approach to a story such as this is taken either from an entirely external point of view, i.e. ‘An aircraft has been diverted to Griffith due to a suspected hydraulic failure’, or from an internal point of view using the knowledge of pilots and professionals to explain exactly what happened. Unfortunately the story that aired has taken a half way approach, with a Channel 9 employee reporting on certain technical aspects of the flight that are incorrect and reflect poorly on what actually took place which, as it turned out, was a normal response to an event which although not normal, was not at all critical and at which no time threatened the lives of anyone on board.

Aviation is a unique industry and should be treated with respect in reporting. It doesn’t take a great deal to shake up the public, and stories such as the one you aired are pushing an already struggling industry backwards. Great stories clearly sell, however at the other end of those sales are empty seats for which for a couple of minutes of good TV, is hard to swallow. Professional advice on areas such as this is not at all difficult to find and using such advice will do a great deal more in maintaining the integrity of the story and indeed the confidence of the travelling public. I sincerely hope that for the respect of the subjects and the aviation industry as a whole you choose to pursue such advice in the future.



Yours Sincerely,

Socks and Thongs

[tipsy2]

Regretably socks and thongs, I fear you will have confused them by the use of clear, logical and rational thinking. :ok:

tipsy

[notthereyet]

Socks and Thongs, wouldn't waste too much time defending this or any operator.

True, it would be nice if it were factually correct. Keep in mind this and other operators have countless cases that the media never gets a hand on... some serious, others not. A little media attention every now and then to keep operators on their toes is not all bad.

At the end of the day if a journo does not know which way the flaps go (or anything else) then you can reasonably assume the majority of the travelling public would not know either - so essentially unimportant. It is not an official investigation.

I wouldn't worry about media damaging the profits of this business either. It's built on cheap labour, bargain priced a/c and a monopoly on most ports.

[JetA_OK]

notthereyet - If only they'd pay more for their staff, buy expensive aircraft and compete on every route they would be much better off :rolleyes:

This forum is all about sensational and uninformed reporting by non aviation people, and then mention1 wants to retire the SAAB because of 1 partial hyrdraulic failure and 1 faulty engine indication light :eek: And he is supposed to know what he is talking about. How many hours would Rex do every year? I'd imagine 40k + ?

Yep - ground em all!!

[notthereyet]

JetA_OK,

I think people are getting their knickers in a knot over nothing. A journos report is for the lay person, it is not an investigation... therefore it is not essential that every fact be to the same standard. Beating chests about the media sensationalising an event is really going to have an impact on the nature of media too:ok:. Like it or not that's how they make a living.

Nothing wrong with a SAAB. Twisting my last comment was good too!

[socks and thongs]

I'm not particularly interested in uncovering an investigation, nor am I interested in the politics of REX operations.

I just don't like the media turning nothing into something through rubbish reporting.

[Jabawocky]

And more the point........ Hyped up stories create damage to the operator unfairly. Stories of what was 1 second away from the biggest aviation disaster in Australia's history, took weeks to get even a story, and it happened in a major capital city.

Then on another front QF can have an aircon pack problem and its a disaster due to offshore maint/lame unions/pilots complaining about lunch menu's/bla bla bla........ just pick one!

[Barkly1992]

Airline (and other commercial) operators can make a significant contribution to quality reporting by getting on the front foot and distributing a carefully worded media release BEFORE the local journalist has a chance to speak to the local cop who always becomes a self-appointed aviation expert.

The statement doesn't have to have all of the answers but needs to use non-emotive and factual statements with little jargon.
:ok:

[ohyeahright]

Oh for f*&ks sake.

Don't you think the lack of EBA progression and the crap conditions we endure at Rex rate ever so slightly higher than this minor incident.

Yes there was a 'TV personality' on board that reported inaccuracies, they all do.

BUT the crew resolved the problem. ie no death or injury!!!

3 pages of dribble, lets try talking about something important !!

OUR lack of a new EBA, the companies arogance to the situation and union appearing to be soft as my wifes breast.

Show me the money.

[TheOtherGuy]

That's all we need- a perky union!

[Cpt Chaos]

Glad to see that some one else finds this thread a load of bull crap, well said OYR, pretty much what I said at the top of this page. With ref to the EBA negotiations try not to blame the messenger, the union is at the mercy of a management who don't want to finalize this for one reason or another (ask your union rep assuming you are a member).

[socks and thongs]

It's apparent that this thread is now on its way down a slippery slope to a REX political jerkoff.

If you don't believe the media play a part in the industry, you are incredibly short sighted.

I'll leave you to it......

[Jabawocky]

Well said Socks and Thongs :=

Funny how I had a number of emails sent to me, today in particular about this thread but the topic in general, and at lunch today out of the blue the same story unsolicited by non ppruners.