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A Current Affair defends “cockpit behaviour” story after Malaysian criticism

ACA has defended a story it aired showing passengers in the cockpit of a Malaysian Airline plane, following media critcism.

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2014-03-13_1451A Current Affair has defended a story it aired showing passengers in the cockpit of a Malaysian Airline plane, co-piloted by Fariq Abdul Hamid, who is among the missing aboard flight 370.

Malaysia’s government-controlled media has criticised the report as “gutter journalism, one-sided and based on hearsay.”

Others from the New Straits Times and state news agency Bernama also criticised the story.

ACA showed footage of young women in the cockpit smiling with the Malaysia Airlines pilots. The passengers were present for both takeoff and landing.

Jonti Roos said, “Throughout the whole flight they were talking to us.

“They were actually smoking, which I don’t think they are allowed to be doing. And they were taking photos of us in the cockpit while they were flying. I was just completely shocked, I couldn’t believe it.”

“I know for the whole time they weren’t facing the front of the plane and actually flying,” she told Channel Nine.

Grant Williams, Executive Producer of A Current Affair said in a statement said the story demonstrated a history of allowing civilians into the cockpit during flight.

“The young woman also made it clear she was not suggesting there was anything unsafe about the co-pilot’s behaviour,” he said.

“We considered that a legitimate factor worthy of mention as this mystery unfolds,” he said.

Today stories have emerged of what appears to be three large floating objects in the South China Sea, some 226 kilometres from the last recorded transponder signal in the waters northeast of Kuala Lumpur and south of Vietnam.

Source: The Age

13 Responses

  1. I demand to know who was the dumb ass that got rid off our Big Bang Theory at 7pm weeknights for this piece of crap.As done to death as that show is It’s light and entertaining.I can’t help but look back close to thirty years ago now when 6pm was a game show on Nine followed by News and Sale of the Century.That was a formula they used prior to the 1988 rebirth of ACA and it worked.

  2. I’m loath to stick up for a crappy tabloid show like ACA but yes, this was newsworthy. The story showed that the co-pilot was comfortable with allowing passengers into the cockpit, something which could be relevant if it turns out to be a hijacking or sabotage. And they were able to back it up with photographs.

  8. So hearsay is now a statement from a witness with footage of the event?

    During take of and landing no less. Which newsworthy as a violation of safety rules, even if the plane hadn’t disappeared.

  9. At least this was a first run story. Since Today Tonight was axed ACA have been padding out their show with repeats of old stories. Now if only we could get Nine to produce some new episodes of Millionaire Hot Seat rather than repeating for the third time episodes originally shown in 2012.

  13. “Malaysia’s government-controlled media has criticised the report as “gutter journalism, one-sided and based on hearsay.””

    Tell us something we don’t already know 😛

    I hate these types of reports, its not doing anything to aid the investigation, It is tarnishing a pilots name and reputation when the facts aren’t clear. Innocent until proven guilty. And allowing civilians into a cockpit used to happen all the time. Whilst it may be against security policies I’m sure this isn’t the first nor last time it has and will happen.

    ACA and media in general seem to be pointing the finger of blame to a pilot who has more than likely tragically lost his life that could have been due to something entirely outside of his control.

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