WORDS OF CAUTION: Listing of names for accidents

Rosie · #1 08-14-2011, 03:34 AM

It's after 0200 on Sunday on the west coast and just now catching up on VAF posts. I was saddened to read about the midair that happened yesterday over Lake Conroe but even more concerned with the speed at which the name of an accident victim was posted on VAF;

1. The very first post showed a link to an internet news report. The link pointed to a news report had a time stamp: Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
2. The time of the first post (on my computer) showed 12:57pm. I'm in California and the post came from Texas meaning could be 10:57am (but really doesn't matter)
3. The story showed the N number of the plane; Ok, you can look it up and see who it's registered to. I can accept that.
4. At 3:48pm (once again, my computer time stamp, but STILL less than 3 hours later from the first post on the thread), a post is placed on VAF naming the pilot.

Folks, I would think it very wise that NO NAMES be posted on any VAF thread until you first find it IN PRINT somewhere in a news report.

I do see the accident victim's name on the very same internet news report, however, the story was updated later that night:
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Updated yesterday at 9:35 PM

I can only imagine if the family of the victim had not yet been notified within those 3 hours.... then here comes a phone call from a VAF member who read the post and just happens to know the family personally. They then call the family (because the know where they are) to offer their condolences....

YES, that could happen and that would be HORRIBLE.

I urge all of us to please think twice when posting the names of accident victims within hours of an accident. The family may not yet have been notified. Rosie

apkp777 · #2 08-14-2011, 06:01 AM

Not to mention that if you were a family member looking for funeral info and you googled your loved ones name, you would come to VAF as the top hit and find all sorts of speculation about how they killed themselves. I agree leave the "N" number and names out of the posts and speculate all you want. There is a thread for remembering those RV pilots who passed on. Great way to share the name (later) and give a memorial for them.

DonFromTX · #3 08-14-2011, 07:32 AM

I respect these posts and their message, but I come from another side of life. Notification of ones death may come in many different ways, but to me the method is not so important as speed. As a military next of kin notification officer, sometimes the news arrived to the loved one before I did. I have seen cases where the "authorities" are bungling or "forgot" to notify next of kin, sometimes they have no way to even find next of kin or even know who it might be, and friends and neighbors were the only notification. Two of my children have died, and I far prefer notification, over the method of notification..

WenEng · #4 08-14-2011, 08:51 AM

I was nodding my head yes as I read the original post. Then, reading Don's I started thinking maybe he has the right view. Bottom line after thinking awhile is I agree with Rosie. What if John Flyboy was flying the owner's aircraft and perished instead of the owner. Something to be said for both sides here, but I would rather not see a member trying to be proactive here and informing the community about who had an incident without knowing 1st hand who it was.

tjo · #5 08-14-2011, 10:08 AM

We are in an age where information flows very quickly. The quality of the info may be suspect, but the volume and speed are incredible. I on't see that as a bad thing. I understand the poit about notifying next of kin first, but I just don't think it is possible in this age with the technology that is available. I agree with Don, speed is more important than method. The only real risk is wether it is accurate, which is, as it always has been, the reponsibility of the person sreading the news.

Tim

DonFromTX · #6 08-14-2011, 10:50 AM

As an example, my son died and it was two weeks later that I found out about it thru back channels. The hospital felt no responsibility to notify me, if not for the funeral home finally realizing something should be done prior to cremation, I would still not know he died. I would have far rather been informed by ANYONE. We see TV shows where all goes according to plan, but in reality notification of next of kin is a very low priority of policeman and doctors. I do fully agree that just because a guys plane crashed, it is totally wrong to assume the owner was flying it.

WenEng · #7 08-14-2011, 11:08 AM

I was only referencing the fact that not knowing who was involved in any incident and using a tail number to find the owner's name and putting that owner's name out as the person involved is not a good thing to do, ever, IMHO. If I had 1st hand knowledge of an incident, I would have no problem contacting that person's family to make them aware and not wait for some formal notice. Your case was a good example.

RV7Guy · #8 08-14-2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonFromTX

We see TV shows where all goes according to plan, but in reality notification of next of kin is a very low priority of policeman and doctors. I do fully agree that just because a guys plane crashed, it is totally wrong to assume the owner was flying it.

Don,

Very sorry for the loss of your son. I can't imagine how you'd not get notified.

Just to clear a point. I was in law enforcement for 30 years. I've done my share of death notifications to the random public and for the families of employees. Not a fun situation. I will tell you that the two agencies I worked with, such notifications were an extreme priority. We even had crisis counselors that assisted the officers with the notification.

Regarding the sad death of our RV Brethren, several of those that posted were close personal friends and probably had first hand knowledge. I'm very confident that the family knew within 30 minutes to an hour after the accident. Probably still prudent to wait until some official public record has confirmed before posting names though.

wil · #9 08-14-2011, 01:49 PM

I'm sure each of us have grown up with a slightly different set of values, ethics and morals. In the case of a notification of the death of a next of kin, my wife and I both feel the messenger and method of notification are equally as important as the message itself.

All that Gary has asked, is for members of VAF, to "THINK TWICE" for a short period of time, before posting names in accidents.

I agree. Thanks for the post Gary, it need to be addressed.

mrreddick · #10 08-14-2011, 03:01 PM

I think the BIG problem here is not so much letting the necessary people know that there has been a fatal accident so much as the armchair prophets putting word out on this public (yes, the public can google us and read this) forum about what the guy did wrong or what might have broke on his plane to cause the accident. Please keep that to yourself or talk it over with your buds at your pilot's lounge or private emails. Have some respect for the deceased, the family, and friends.