Earlier today (Tues, 9/26) I saw a news video on
KGW's website (www.kgw.com in Portland,
OR) that really made me angry. The video started out with an interview of
a Lancair pilot (Mike Cannon) who made a hard landing at Troutdale airport
(KTTD). The landing gear on his 320/360 collapsed but he was
uninjured. That part of the report wasn't bad. But then KGW made a
big deal about recent Lancair accidents in the Portland
area, showing video clips of coverage of three other accidents. What
really hacked me off was two of the accidents weren't Lancairs. One was a
Columbia 400 (I know, very similar, but still not a Lancair) and the other was a
Micco! The Micco was another gear collapse on landing, this one at Aurora
(KUAO), that was captured on video; looked like from a helicopter. As I
was watching the video of the Micco's left gear collapsing the news reader was
telling the viewing public that it was a Lancair, similar to the one involved
in today's hard landing at Troutdale. I couldn't believe it!
Then I thought about it and I could believe it. The news media doesn't
seem to have any interest in facts or accuracy, especially when it involves GA
airplanes.
So if the news screws up aviation coverage
here in Portland I'm sure they're doing it in other places. I'm not sure
there's much we can do about it, but maybe if enough people complained it might
do some good. I sent KGW a complaint email, detailing their errors.
Predictably I got a form letter response that didn't really say anything.
I did send email to Joe and Kim at Lancair about KGW's bad
reporting.
Tom Gourley
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