Actually, the investigation is not yet over. USAPA is a party to the NTSB inivestigation, as is the IAM and probably the AFA.
While this is going on anything said publicly could compromise the investigation.
No doubt many US Airways pilots were involved in some ALPA committees...now they are represented by USAPA...so what?
Cancelling this appearance is a good call, no matter who said it first.
Tejas,
100% correct, you beat me to it. Regardless of your feeling about USAPA, and granted the 'children' will not throw stones and call names, but it was the right call to politely ask him (or advise him) to cancel the interview. And, I believe if ALPA was the representive body, they would have done the same; as it is alway ill advised to give any public statements (or interviews) this early in an investigation. Also, the union represents him in this incident/accident, and is currently a participating part in the NTSB investigation.
As I said, smart decision to cancel the interview, as all you are really doing is 'feeding the media frenzy'
Also, if he was going to do the interview; I agree with others, would be very sad if he showed up there without the entire crew.
Reference a few little facts the media missed in their 'hero worship' of Capt. Sully, as point out by the NTSB already;
--right after the plane was in the water, a passenger pushed the aft F/A out of the way and tried to open one of the rear doors. He did get it open because the F/A quickly stopped him, as he started to open it, water started coming in, and the F/A quickly latched it. After she made sure both rear doors were secure/latched, she made her way to the middle of the a/c and assisted with the evac. It wasn't until almost everyone was off the a/c that she noticed a gash in her leg. She was the F/A who had a leg fracture and need surgery at the hospital.
Note: Look carefully at the first pics of the a/c in the water, just after the landing, bother aft doors are clearly way below the waterline. Had she not quickly stopped the passenger, and made sure the door were closed/secured. That thing would have filled with water and probably sank in 2-3 mins. and a lot of people would have been in the water freezing.
Quick action from the aft F/A probably help keep that plane from sinking like a stone. Passengers often panic and will push anyone and everyone out of the way and grab for the nearest door to get out. Often it can end up killing people.
--in many of the pics. and videos the F/O is shown clearly at the 1R door, assisting passenger out of the a/c into the slide/raft, the station/duty for the F/O in a ditching at most carriers. It was also reported later that the F/O gave his shirt to a passenger who was pulled from the water, soaking wet, to keep him from freezing.
But, the media said that 'one man' single-handly saved all of those people.....guess other than him, everyone else was just a passenger??
For what its worth.
PD
