Shahzeb Khan
INVESTIGATION into the crash of PK8303 is un
derway. Though plenty of information is out in records
of communication between pilot and air traffic control and by eyewitness accounts, there is still much uncertainty about what actually happened. Media has filled this void of uncertainty with its own speculations. The myopia implicit in some of these narratives has dangerous repercussions. Media does not have enough expertise to proselytize or speculate on aviation matters. In tragedies of this nature, speculative accusation should be disallowed while investigation is underway. Some mediamen are criminalizing the accident by accusing the air traffic control of criminal negligence. Some are blaming the crash on cronyism in PIA’s recruitment policy. There may be nepotism in PIA, but it is to be found in the sales and marketing department, not critical operations like ATC. In matters as serious as this, proof must accompany finger pointing.
We should all be aware of the fact that the pilot, Captain Sajjad Gul, appears to have steered his plane to avoid hitting homes, making it land in the middle of the road. This is truly an immensely heroic act that a person on the verge of death did to protect others. It undoubtedly saved many people, as the neighbourhood the plane crashed into was densely populated. Thanks to the pilot’s quick thinking and composure, casualties among people on the ground have been light. Yet some media people are saying pilot may have committed terrorism! Also commendable is the heroism of the professional and ordinary rescue workers, who recovered victims from the crash zone under great danger, braving high temperatures and a massive fire around the crash site, while the congested layout of the neighbourhood made delivery of relief efforts challenging. Then there are the medical personnel, tirelessly working to treat the injured even as the severe Coronavirus outbreak in Sindh has stretched the healthcare sector thin. The agencies of Pakistan tasked with safety and relief have done a commendable job responding to the plane crash.
Most important responsibility falls on those who are finding out how the crash happened – information vital for improving safety standards. Media’s accusatory speculation is creating psychological threats for already taut nerves of industry insiders involved in investigation. Awareness of how media narratives can impact thinking and behaviour of investigators in accidents of this kind is needed right now more than ever, because this plane crash has not come at an ordinary time for Pakistan and for its aviation sector. We happen to be in unprecedented circumstances, a time of enormous crisis and disruption all across the nation, indeed the world, and this very situation may be a factor in the PIA plane crashing. The coronavirus pandemic is putting the aviation industry on the verge of a financial catastrophe. Because of worldwide grounding of flights, airline companies are making no profit while still maintaining their fleets. Respective governments are supposed to help out, but it is very difficult for ours to do so when it has to deal with the unprecedented coronavirus crisis and with severe economic problems stemming from other causes, including a long-running locust outbreak. Covid-19 has impacted all activities of life. In this battle to fight the virus that has taken the world by storm, letting guard somewhat down would be tempting for airline industry in order to maintain what little profitability is possible.
The airlines continue to operate under great strain after lockdown is lifted. Far fewer people are flying than in normal times, making airlines fall way short on cash. Though there was a rush of Pakistanis wanting to go back to their hometown to be with their families for Eid, social distancing measures meant that most passenger planes are occupied far below their full capacity, with every second seat being kept empty. This SOP fortunately prevented PK 8303 from being one of the deadliest plane crashes in Pakistan’s history. Also, the air travel industry has an enormous responsibility to ensure the coronavirus is not spread by air travel, whether it is by infected people travelling to other places or transmission taking place during flight. Airliners now have to save the world, in addition to ensuring safety of their planes, a higher burden that may have imperilled attention to details by management. The future of flying has been rendered dubious by coronavirus. Pilots the world over are anxious about job security. An opportunity for local personnel is also created. If big commercial airliners are going to be shunned, it naturally follows private planes will be preferred by business class and elite travellers the world over. In such a scenario, pilots in our region will be competing for jobs rigorously. If the trend of trade wars continues, western expertise is likely to be shunned and regional markets may be compelled to hire personnel locally.
Given these variables, it is hugely irresponsible for some media persons to be maligning not just PIA, but the entire aviation system in Pakistan, without proof. This can hurt us and jeopardize our future opportunities. Caution must be applied to how media covers matters of enormous economic importance. Government is requested to make a policy that disallows media to “speculate” negatively on causes of accidents in commercial travelling, show decency and wait till an authentic report is out. Media can, of course, take exceptions to the findings in the report, but only if it possesses facts that counter it. Baseless and speculative accusations hurled in the wake of accidents in commercial travelling are hazards in themselves and must be prevented by enforcement of sophisticated policy designed for the purpose.
—The writer is Director at Pakistan’s People Led Disaster Management.
Dangerous speculation
