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Let’s Define a Crisis
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How Long Has Aviation Known
Crisis?
September 17.1908
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Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge
May 30, 1912
On May 30, 1912, during a flight exposition, a plane piloted by
J. Clifford Turpin (1886-1966) plows into the grandstand at
Meadows Race Track, located south of Georgetown along the
Duwamish River. One spectator is killed instantly and another dies
a day later.
Sixteen people are injured, some maimed horribly, in Washington's
first fatal airplane crash.
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Which Was It -35,21 or 100
Killed?
Survivors of the Hindenburg disaster far
outnumbered the victims.
Anyone who has seen the graphic newsreel
video of the Hindenburg plunging to earth in
flames may be amazed to know that of the 97
passengers and crew on board, 62 survived. The
disaster’s 36 deaths included 13 passengers, 22
crewmembers and one worker on the ground.
Not one of the newspapers
got it right
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Images Of Aviation Accidents
Sell
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How Do You Handle Them?
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Understand Their Needs
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What Can You Tell Them?
• Anything you could tell them before the
incident/accident
– Build the background for them to understand what
is normal
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What Can You Tell Them?
• What caused the accident?
– The investigation is ongoing, we are working with
the authorities
• We are committed to understanding what
happened
– Any action at this time would be premature
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How To Handle The “Bait”
Questions
The accident shows your
operation/airline is unsafe doesn’t it?
No, over the years we have undergone numerous
inspections (internal and external) demonstrating our
ability to operate safely, we have pass them all. We
do not know the cause of the accident but we will and
if improvements need to be made we will make them
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Staying On Message
• Know your message before entering the
interview
– Message should be short, stand alone (soundbite),
and consistent
– Bridge when necessary to keep focus on your
message
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It May Not Be Fair
Pilots in Jet Crash at La Guardia Are Sought by U.S. Investigators
By ROBERT D. McFADDEN
Published: September 22, 1989
Federal investigators tried unsuccessfully yesterday to locate the
pilot and co-pilot of the USAir jetliner that crashed into the East
River Wednesday night to learn why the flight was aborted in its
140-mile-an-hour rush down a runway at La Guardia Airport.
The pilot of the Boeing 737-400, identified by USAir as Michael
Martin, and the co-pilot, identified as Constantine Kleissaf, left the
scene shortly after the crash and were unavailable, without
explanation, all day. Without their help, the authorities said, it was
impossible to determine the cause of the crash -or even who was
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at the controls.
It May Not Be Fair
The pilots identified themselves at the hospital to
the NTSB and their representative provided
contact information to the NTSB the day of the
accident
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There Is A Double Standard
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They May Hide To Get A Story
Your organization is under watch 24 hours a day
7 days a week
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Some Are More Sensational
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Do Not Let “Them” or Mistakes
Get To You
How “in control” did he look?
Anger or frustration slows you ability to
think
The audience reacts to body language more
than to words
Anger is often viewed as hiding something
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Provide What Evidence You
Can
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You can then smile knowing that you have totally disarmed them
Do The Research For Them
• Provide objective source data for their story
• Realize their time constraints
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Always Tell The Truth
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The Most Trusted Man In
America
That was then
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Getting The Most From The
Media
• Know your message
• Do NOT let them get to you
– Anger or Frustration hurt you not them
• Provide evidence to support your position
• Do research for them
• Always tell the truth
John Cox
[email protected]
+1 727 515 1061
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