NBC 5 responds to AA responding to NBC 5

Scott Friedman at NBC 5 has responded to John Hotard's critique of the station's story on a potential runway safety problem for American Airlines planes at D/FW Airport. (Full disclosure: The Star-Telegram and NBC 5 have a news partnership and Friedman occasionally interviews me on airline and aviation issues.)

Friedman posted his answer to Hotard's criticism on his blog. Here's an excerpt:

Actually, it’s his (Hotard's) response that’s misleading.

He claims we “mislinked” two issues: the fact that the planes have not been lit while being towed at night - and the fact that there was a recent daytime incident where a plane was towed into the path of another plane coming in for landing.

In our story we made it clear that, “if the incident had happened at night” air traffic controllers tell us the pilot may not have seen the other plane until it was too late.  In other words, the daytime incident highlights the importance - in the eyes of the controllers - of lighting the planes so they can be seen if the same thing were to happen at night.

After that daytime incident in April, DFW airport asked the airline to park the tugs while the FAA investigates.  So, the airline is not using them at DFW right now - but they are using them at other airports across the country.  We also learned that, for months, DFW airport has been asking the airline to light the planes during night time towing.  The airline has said that is working with the airport and the FAA to find a way to light the planes at night.

Friedman also noted that he offered Hotard an opportunity to talk on camera about the issue, which was declined.

- Trebor Banstetter

Comments

[Paddy_Chayefsky_nailed_it]

With all due respect to Mr. Friedman, his comments strike me as self-serving bovine fecal material. As he well knows (especially during a "sweeps" ratings period like May), it's all about the visuals--people focus on them and any verbal "qualifying" statements or details are usually overlooked.

Another reporter at KXAS ran the same kind of scare-the-crap-out-them story in February (another "sweeps" month) on airline pilots supposedly being "forced" to operate with unsafe fuel loads (total garbage), so I guess airline terror stories are now SOP for KXAS during "sweeps" periods.

"Click"

[Paddy_Sizemoreski_Has_It_All_Wrong]

It's always a conspiracy: someone else is always to blame for every AMR failure.

New reporters never get it right and in fact, they always blindside AMR--especially during ratings sweeps.

Otherwise, all is perfect with AMR management, relations between management and employees, and the performance of AMR.

And, any minute winged monkeys might fly out of my posterior.