What Reporters Write About Air Disasters When They Have No Idea
Sometimes reporters write things that don't even make any sense! Here is Time, recounting an incident on Qantas Flight 72 last year:
The plane abruptly entered a smooth 650-ft. dive (which the crew sensed was not being caused by turbulence) [ED NOTE: HUH? THEY SENSED THAT?] that sent dozens of people smashing into the airplane's luggage bins and ceiling.... After seemingly an eternity -- in reality, the nosedive lasted 20 very long seconds -- the flight crew wrested control of the plane from its wayward computer....
Ha, WRESTED! I think that means they hit the OFF BUTTON, but nice job making the autopilot sound like the HAL-9000.
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winkybb on What Reporters Write About Air...
""when their seatbelts failed"?! Give me a break. What they meant to say is that ..."
Benjamin Pearcy on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Uh, Joel... - when was the last time YOU recovered an A330 from an upset? There..."
dculberson on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Anon6, It's possible, but to me it wouldn't be "smooth" if it was a sudden, >1g ..."
Strangepork on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Wow! I just finished reading " Airframe" the Crichton novel from 1996 about a VE..."
Anonymous on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Wait, couldn't a sudden, but decisive (i.e. no shuddering or jolting) change in ..."
Jesse on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Anyone interested in the incompetence of the press when it comes to aviation sho..."
artbot on What Reporters Write About Air...
"It's like the headline writers for digg are now working for Time...."
dculberson on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Not to mention that if the dive was "smooth" then why on earth would dozens of p..."
Joel Johnson on What Reporters Write About Air...
"Thanks for noticing. :)..."
Bucket on What Reporters Write About Air...
"I just gotta say that the placement of the Flight of the Conchords poster above ..."
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Bucket
#1 – 11:21 AM June 4, 2009
I just gotta say that the placement of the Flight of the Conchords poster above this story is pure genius.
Joel Johnson
#2 – 11:24 AM June 4, 2009
Thanks for noticing. :)
dculberson
#3 – 11:35 AM June 4, 2009
Not to mention that if the dive was "smooth" then why on earth would dozens of people "smash" into the ceiling?
artbot
#4 – 12:25 PM June 4, 2009
It's like the headline writers for digg are now working for Time.
Jesse
#5 – 1:19 PM June 4, 2009
Anyone interested in the incompetence of the press when it comes to aviation should read Patrick Smith's Ask the Pilot column at salon.com.
Anonymous Anonymous
#6 – 3:08 PM June 4, 2009
Wait, couldn't a sudden, but decisive (i.e. no shuddering or jolting) change in pitch be considered "smooth" and yet send people flying? And the lack of shaking would indicate a lack of turbulence...
Strangepork
#7 – 5:19 PM June 4, 2009
Wow! I just finished reading " Airframe" the Crichton novel from 1996 about a VERY similar topic. Reporters trying to sensationalize an airplane incident.
dculberson
#8 – 6:40 AM June 5, 2009
Anon6, It's possible, but to me it wouldn't be "smooth" if it was a sudden, >1g maneuver. Unless it "smoothly" turned upside down.
Benjamin Pearcy
#9 – 7:51 AM June 5, 2009
Uh, Joel... - when was the last time YOU recovered an A330 from an upset? There are actually several ways to disengage an autopilot, including overriding it by forcible inputs on the control column - wresting, indeed. Trust me, if you were in a sudden 650-ft dive, you'd be pulling on the stick, not reaching for a button...
This one should be retitled "What bloggers write about reporters when they have no idea..."
winkybb
#10 – 12:01 PM June 5, 2009
"when their seatbelts failed"?! Give me a break. What they meant to say is that "when they failed to take any notice whatsoever of the ONLY important part of the safety briefing; which is the part that instructs you to keep your seatbelt fastened at all times when seated".
All that stuff about evacuation, brace positions, tray tables in the upright position, no iPods and oxygen masks etc is safety theatre. The chances of any of that ever helping you avoid injury or death are tiny.
However, what WILL happen if you fly regularly is that your plane WILL hit severe turbulence unexpectedly and you are very likely to be injured if you are not wearing your seatbelt. The other risks around air travel are trivial (although try telling that to the people at the bottom of the Altlantic).