Turning the tables...

[Rad]

From an AP article...
_________
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The JetBlue pilot who landed an airliner with a crippled nose wheel while TV broadcast the potential disaster live is a Raleigh man who is rejecting offers to tell his story. ... Burke already was worried about all the attention as he landed the plane, according to reports of his communications with the ground crew.

"Do we have somebody here who is media savvy?" the pilot radioed, according to the Los Angeles Times. "I want to keep the media wolves off my back. I've got nothing to say to them."
__________

So the next time Jet Blue sends out a press release wanting coverage, should we send it back telling them we don't want anything to do with the "publicity whores"?

Just thinking out loud....

[ September 25, 2005, 11:57 AM: Message edited by: Rad ]

[1911A1]

If he doesn't want to talk to the press, he doesn't have to. That we're seen as "wolves" by the public is nobody's fault but our own. We've earned whatever scorn is directed our way.

If I were in his position, I'd probably tell the media to f_ck off, too.

[Icarus112277]

I would't want tot talk to the media ever personally. Definitely not after a long day of work. Definitely not after a long day of work like the one in question.

[pinecone]

Put in the same position I would probably have the same attitude. Why deal with the media if you don't have to? In this high profile case it would be a massive burden. Lots of people want a piece of you.

The pilot probably feels like he isn't a hero. He did his job and dealt with the situation in a professional manner. He was doing his job.

Why over-analyze the landing over and over again? That would be drudgery for many people

[ September 25, 2005, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: pinecone ]

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by Rad:
So the next time Jet Blue sends out a press release wanting coverage, should we send it back telling them we don't want anything to do with the "publicity whores"?What if you made the decision whether to run the story based upon its news value instead?

I have to agree with these other guys. Part of the reason we're seen as wolves and vultures is because so many of us have the attitude that every person has the responsibility to talk to us when we demand it. This pilot, like most people we accost, had no obligation to talk to anyone except his own bosses and some folks with the FAA or NTSB. He had enough to deal with without having to worry about how to fend off reporters.

[TightShot]

I completely agree with what most everyone else has posted. We are vultures. We show up at the sites of the dead and dying, the weak and hungry. We do feed off of people's misery. But, that's what people want to see. The pilot may not have wanted to talk, but I bet you he tuned in to see the soundbite from whoever did speak for the airline.

[El Guapo]

I love this pilot...
He's a hero and doesn't care about the glamour of "taking credit." He did his job...bottomline. I wouldn't want to talk to us either, AND I find it refreshing to see a man stand up and say "it's NOT all about me!"

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by El Guapo:
I love this pilot...
He's a hero and doesn't care about the glamour of "taking credit." He did his job...bottomline. I wouldn't want to talk to us either, AND I find it refreshing to see a man stand up and say "it's NOT all about me!" Well, there's more to it than that. Any time you have an incident in an aircraft as a pilot, whether it's your fault or not, your performance comes under scrutiny. The investigating agency (most likely the FAA in this case, but possibly the NTSB since it was an airline) will note anything you did that may have contributed to the incident occurring in the first place. At an airline, your own supervisors will be going over every detail. Even if you did nothing to contribute to the situation, and even if you bring the plane in safely, things you could have done better can still be noted in the investigation reports. Those notes often sound very negative and accusatory.

Now, while in this case the guy appears to have done a good job handling the situation, this pilot knows in the back of his mind that his career could be on the line. The dumbest thing anybody could do in that situation is talk to reporters, because anything that is printed or broadcast, whether in accurate context or not, becomes a potential liability during the investigation. This guy's best course of action is to shut the f*ck up and refuse to talk to anyone until the investigation is closed and he knows he's clear.

I would suspect that the investigation in this case will focus heavily on the preflight and whether the problem could have been caught before takeoff. If the FAA finds that the preflight checks weren't adequate, it won't matter that the guy made a greaser landing. The pilot could still find himself in some trouble. Would you want to talk to reporters knowing that possibility existed?

So, Richard and you other folks who want so badly to talk with this guy, back off and let him have his space. Don't assume that just because he isn't willing to give the interview you expect that he's some kind of asshole. This is his career on the line.

[ September 26, 2005, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: Shaky & Blue ]