Cite Ongoing Investigation As Cause To Hold Off On Public Statements

by ANN Managing Editor Rob Finfrock

Now that the National Transportation Safety Board has essentially confirmed a flock of birds took down US Airways Flight 1549 over New York last week, news outlets around the world (including this one) are VERY eager to interview the two pilots who so ably guided the stricken airliner to a perfect ditching in the Hudson River, and the three flight attendants who then managed to quickly and safely evacuate all passengers off the waterlogged Airbus A320, without a single fatality.

However, the NTSB has not definitively ruled on the cause... and on Monday, the US Airline Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants issued a joint statement asking for the publics' understanding that while the investigation is still underway, the crew is unavailable for interviews.

"Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, First Officer Jeff Skiles and Flight Attendants Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh and Donna Dent wish to offer their sincere thanks and appreciation for the overwhelming support, praise and well wishes they have received from the public around the world since the events of last Thursday," the statement reads.

"The entire crew recognizes the media’s interest in speaking with them as soon as possible, and they are willing to share their experiences when the time is right. However, as the NTSB investigation is ongoing, they ask that the media respect their desire to refrain from participating in interviews until further notice."

In addition to what appears to be the crew's sincere desire to avoid the intense public spotlight, there is a more pragmatic reason for the crewmembers not to comment: any public statement or comment by the crew, which has not been thoroughly vetted, could open the crewmembers, the airline, and even the unions to litigation.

There is overwhelming evidence the January 16 incident was the unavoidable result of a bird strike... and, that the wonderful outcome was the end result to an incalculable combination of a highly proficient crew, the safety aspects of a modern airliner, and a dose of old-fashioned luck.

The incident has generated enormous public empathy and support for the crew, and even for US Airways... which, before last week, was better known to many fliers as the airline too cheap to provide free Cokes to passengers. But that groundswell of support doesn't mean lawyers aren't circling the scene, looking for any possible way to make a buck off the incident.

Indeed, just hours after the ditching of Flight 1549, Aero-News received a release from one prominent New York law firm... asking to speak with passengers about the incident. Infuriated, ANN staffers were preparing a story about it... but within the hour, the firm had pulled the release from its site, perhaps (correctly) gauging the immediate public backlash that would have resulted from such blatant ambulance chasing.

As of this writing, no lawsuit has been filed in connection with Flight 1549... but that doesn't mean that firm -- or numerous others -- aren't still looking for an opportunity. There's already been speculation passengers might be able to sue US Airways for emotional distress.

Furthermore, even if the NTSB report completely vindicates the 1549 crew of any wrongdoing in the accident... that ruling wouldn't be admissible in court.

Which means that, for now, the crew of Flight 1549 won't be granting many interviews. Sullenburger was scheduled to give his first public interview with NBC's "Today" show Monday morning, but that has since been postponed.

Call it a sign of the times.

(Incident images by Gregory Lam)

FMI: www.usairways.com, www.ntsb.gov, www.usairlinepilots.org, www.afanet.org