Anyone in PR knows how bristling news of an accident can be. Often a company spends years in court and millions on corrective measures to pull out of a crisis. Indeed, they often finally pay attention to those in corporate communications - the middlemen who play a key role in how your company is perceived - when disaster strikes.
Last month, Swissair faced an unexpected onslaught of public attention after one of its planes crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia, killing more than 200 people. PR NEWS, in an attempt to understand what part the Internet plays when crises erupt, turned to Internet monitoring firm eWatch, which we commissioned to track public opinion in cyberspace.
We gave eWatch one word - Swissair - so we could trace the postings in news groups and some that originate with ISPs. The results provide a telling tale of the range of information on the Internet. Some references are spotty and show the fleeting nature of breaking news, while others are quite detailed and point to the cast of "experts" who share their views via the Internet. But the sum total can weigh heavily into the final public verdict about this crisis - and this company.
Forum: 39073 S4/Accidents/Incidents
Date: 03-Sep-98
Subject: #39065-Swissair MD11 Crash
They report that [the pilot's] first report from 111 was not an emergency, hence the PAN nomenclature. Swissair said they had contact and wanted to redirect 111 to Boston as they had facilities there. For whatever reason, the choice became Halifax, not Boston or Bangor. They say that there are 15 minutes of dialog with the Moncton control center before they lost contact. Also saying they expect to release content of the Moncton tape after review in Ottawa.
Our take: The level of detail, albeit without attribution, can be compelling. Make sure you get your version of the facts out there.
Forum: 39063 S4/Accidents/Incidents
Date: 03-Sep-98
Subject: #39061-Swissair MD11 Crash
News is reporting 25 fathoms. They are also saying they have located 'large' sections of the fuselage. Only 18 bodies by 11am edt; sounds like bodies might be entombed in fuselage. Notice the organized response of the Canadian emergency organizations as against the political and media holocaust around TWA 800.
Our take: A lesson for TWA: news about your company is never completely past.
Forum: 39071 S4/Accidents/Incidents
Date: 03-Sep-98
Subject: #39068-Swissair MD11 Crash
There was a gathering at JFK that included Mayor Giuliani. Boy the contrast of his behavior as against what he did when 800 went down was a major transformation. The media did not scream at Swissair for a passenger list as they did to TWA-JFK for 800. The media has left the airline and agencies to do their work, not scream incompetence from the start when all of their requests are not immediately fulfilled.
In 1996, even here in the Bay Area, the radio stations were screaming that all of the passenger information should be immediately available, etc.
Just now, Swissair VP is only telling the nations of the passport holders, not the names, and it's more than 15 hours after the incident. That is being civil to all concerned. I think they learned from the debacle of 800.
Our take: Beware of how your company's name is linked to third parties (i.e., politicians) who become self-appointed spokespeople for your crisis.
Forum: 39105 S4/Accidents/Incidents
Date: 03-Sep-98
Subject: #39087-Swissair MD11 Crash
Anytime something like this happens it affects my wife and stirs memories of 800. To see the organization of the Canadian response teams and the coordination with the EMT, hospitals and media was impressive. More impressive is that you didn't have all the politicians jockeying for their media moments.
This was the hardest point for us about 800. Everyone was sharply criticizing TWA at a time when it had lost almost 50 fellow employees/friends, when the NTSB, Red Cross, and other organizations had the responsibilities. It really hurt her to see the venom flowing toward the airline at a time when so much was unknown from the first incident of its type. Now, you see rabbis and counselors swarming to JFK to assist. Thankfully, they have learned from past bad behavior.
Let's hope the answers as to the cause can flow from the recordings and aircraft parts.
Our take: You may be responding to people who have old wounds re-opened by your crisis.
Forum: 39544 S4/Accidents/Incidents
Date: 14-Sep-98
Subject: #39400-Swissair.com Gets Kudos
Your post about the excellent Swissair message made me go and look at their site. It also made me think yet again about the reactions of my clients in the event of a crash and I've started the process to see how we use the Internet to give out information. And we start from the point that neither of them have a properly serviced Web site! Apart from Swissair's first press conference that seemed to lack control (or at least the clip I saw on television seemed so) I think the Swiss have handled this accident extremely well so far.
Our take: The Internet can be a great learning tool in developing your corporate response.
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Swissair and lawyers
Date: 14 Sep 1998
In The Washington Post, there was a remark about the possibility that the cabin was not yet ready to land. If one agrees with your statement that the pilots thought things would get worse, would the readiness of the cabin in the back really be an issue? My sense is that they weren't talking about the FAs putting on their makeup or anything like that - if the pilot thought the plane might burst into flames upon landing, then readiness for evacuation in the cabin would be crucial, no?
The amount of time flight attendants will have to complete a preparation for evacuation is one of the most important pieces of information given to the FAs by the pilots. A full prep will take about 30-40 minutes. An unplanned evacuation will begin immediately after the aircraft stops.
Our take: Find out what constituents think since analysis doesn't only come in official venues.
Newsgroups:
alt.conspiracy,alt.conspiracy.
princess-diana
Subject: Re: Flight 111 - 'Black Box' failed
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998
It has been reported that the Cockpit Voice Recorder on Swissair Flight 111 stopped working six minutes before the crash. Therefore there is no record of what the pilots said to each other in the cockpit. The report said that this failure was more evidence of a major loss of essential systems on board the plane. I am surprised by this; I do not know how the 'Black Box' systems operate, but it seems obvious to me that they should be designed to operate independently of other systems on the plane. So that when all the sensors fail, you overwrite valuable data with nothing?Why would this happen? Surely the system is capable of recording data and voice for a fixed period, greater than the duration of the flight?
Our take: Expect experts at every corner.
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: SwissAir Flight 111
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998
[A skydiver commented]: I was thinking: 'If I was on that plane, I'm sure everyone knew there was something really wrong long before the plane actually crashed,' and I was traveling with my rig, I'd be bailing out.'
>>>good luck opening those doors
Our take: Expect some sarcasm and anticipate jokes.