An aircraft accident just happened.....

[KieferC]

What are some things that SHOULD NOT be released to the media, and what should be released? This includes records, circumstances etc...

[TheOptimist]

Personally I don't think anything should be formally 'released' until an investigation has been done.

If anything gets out, whether it be the pilots names/the location of the incident/registration of aircraft etc it just leads to farcical speculation. Unfortunately one way or another these things get out before the investigation team have done their job and all sorts of criticisms get levelled at the pilots/aircraft/ATC/airfield etc etc.

[KieferC]

let's say the media is on scene right after the accident and they want a statement. What should be released?

[TheOptimist]

Absolutely nothing, as I said. But that's not the way the world works and within a hour it'll be on a bunch of websites. Some of these stories are up so fast I bet they beat the police in informing the victim's family (assuming injuries or fatalities). Obviously this only really applies to GA because if a large commercial jet goes down it's huge news and contacting families will take weeks.

Edit: If they want a statement? I'd (naively) say that until an investigation had been performed there would be no press release, and request that until the families had been notified the 'story' is not reported.

[KieferC]

yeah i'm just talking about GA accidents... specifically a flight school accident scenario.

thanks for your input

[IGh]

"... say the media is on scene right after the accident and they want a statement..."

In the states, your response is easy: refer the reporter to the rules, and as soon as the "IIC" [Investigator-in-Charge] says OK, THEN maybe you can add some information.

The IIC calls the shots for release of "information". Meanwhile, keep any surviving pilot-victims away from anyone. Later, maybe check-in with IIC, and later the Chief Pilot, just so he knows the pilots have been protected. Later, IIC will ask for interviews.

[poss]

The best thing to do is refer them to your flight school/club for any comments... that way you don't say anything that could get you into trouble with the club or the investigators.

[john_tullamarine]

The operator should have an emergency response plan .. which will include nominated responses for such events as a mishap.

[Genghis the Engineer]

My suggestion for a flying school would be to have a pre-written release available that can be tweaked, printed, then handed or faxed (not Emailed) to journalists if something has gone badly wrong.

I'd word it along the following lines:


(Organisation) confirms that an accident has occurred to its (type) aircraft, registration (reg) on (date).

Emergency services have attended the scene, and NTSB/AAIB/whoever have been notified and will be investigating the accident. (Organisation) are already in contact with (accident investigation organisation) and will be giving our full co-operation.

The nature and outcome of the accident is not yet certain, but as information becomes available it will be important that those most directly affected are informed first of all. For this reason we regret that we cannot provide more information at this time, but as it becomes available and we have first informed those directly affected, we will publish verified information on our website at ***.***.***.

In the meantime, we must concentrate upon supporting those affected by this accident, and assisting the official investigation so please ask that those not directly affected, including the press, respect this.

(Organisation) is a flying school based at (airport) where it has operated since (year), we are approved by the FAA/CAA/whoever to (very brief list of activities). We operate a fleet of (types and numbers) and pride ourselves on an excellent safety record throughout our operations to date.



G

[werbil]

From my old ops manual (references were current at the time - early 90s):

A5.13 Overdue Aircraft, Aircraft Accidents and the media.

A5.13.1 As soon as the media finds out they will be asking for some form of comment from the organisation. The only comments to be made except by the chief pilot are specified in the following paragraphs.
A5.13.2 When an aircraft is overdue make only the following statement to the press. “An aircraft conducting scenic flights over the ******* has become overdue. The Civil Aviation Authority has been notified and search procedures commenced, including at other airfields near the flight route. No further details are available at this stage. All scenic flight operations conducted by ****** are conducted to full non-scheduled public transport (charter) safety standards.”. Do not under any circumstances speculate as to what has happened.
A5.13.3 When there is a positive report of one of our aircraft having been involved in an accident make only the following statement initially to the press: “An aircraft conducting scenic flights over the ******* has been involved in an accident. Rescue services and the Civil Aviation Authority have been mobilised. At this stage the cause and the severity of the accident has not been established. All scenic flight operations conducted by ***** are conducted to full non-scheduled public transport (charter) safety standards.”. Do not under any circumstances speculate as to the cause or the severity of the accident.
A5.13.4 Treat all witness accounts, including from the police, and especially accounts relayed by the media with great scepticism as reports of aircraft accidents, including the severity, are usually exaggerated. State only information that is undisputable fact. Where there are injuries or casualties use only details from the police, ambulance or hospitals.

I very much like Genghis's pre written release - if I still had my AOC, I would be updating it to something very similar.

As well as these statements, my ops manual also had procedures to be followed by ground staff in the event of either an overdue aircraft or an accident, as well as search hints for the authorities - it was quite rugged terrain.

[Piltdown Man]

Nothing should be released to the press. So what if they want a statement. You don't have to give them anything so don't. Do it politely, but don't give them a thing.

PM

[john_tullamarine]

You don't have to give them anything so don't. Do it politely, but don't give them a thing.

Problem is that then they will just make it up. Far better to have a pro-company statement out there to buy you some time. That's why the high priced spin doctors are available to help you draft some words in advance.

What you don't want to happen is for a mishap to catch you unawares with nothing planned ...

[flatfootsam]

The majority of the press reported speculation is pulled from this web site -> check the press reports from every major incident over the last couple of years - the best option to keep uninformed speculation to a minimum is to not post anything. Just about impossible from experience reading this site

As for managing contingency planning, A.E.P response ect, check Annex 14, vol1

[Piltdown Man]

John, to a point I agree. But if you can't afford a professional BS artist, you are better off saying nothing. The press will make up a story no matter what you say anyway. So unless you are really good, like Michael Bishop after Kegworth, silence is the best policy.

PM

[Genghis the Engineer]

I see what you're saying Piltdown, but I think that you're wrong.

The press will go hunting for something to print, and if you don't give them something, they may find stuff that is particularly unhelpful. The press are likely to be fairly happy with something bland, factual, limited (and to a large extent pre-prepared, when you had lots of time to think about this), so give them that quickly and they are likely to be reasonably well behaved.

G

[safetypee]

Late in my career, my pre retirement job involved taking press inquiries immediately after an accident – even though the company had a press office. The stock position was to say nothing, said politely and firmly – “the authorities are investigating”.
However, the press still requires their story, they need something. So I kept a list of telephone numbers and web addresses (nothing quite like the web for diverting attention) of the major manufacturers, regulators, safety organizations, and reputable safety statistic sites; not the investigators. Giving the press something – even a wild goose chase, quickly closed the conversation – not too wild a deviation, you have to protect your professional integrity and reputation, and don’t misjudge the press’s capabilities or their intentions, see below.
… the importance of avoiding generalisation about the media’s rush to speculate about the causes of an adverse event.
The reliance on expert opinion suggests that greater attention might be paid to educating those safety professionals about the consequences of their speculation. The journalists already seem anxious to avoid direct speculation.
Our study also revealed that speculation thrives in a vacuum. from Newspaper and Online News Reporting of Major Accidents. ( http://shemesh.larc.nasa.gov/iria03/p06-johnson-key.pdf)