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more volatile environment—it’s not going caution when managing their airspace, we rely on them when news media re-
away. For better or worse, we work in an and that operators should more thor- ports speculate that we’re hiding informa-
environment in which every investigation oughly assess the risks when selecting tion or when someone claims that we’re
may be scrutinized, picked apart, evaluat- routes over conflict areas. conspiring to let this or that operator “off
ed—before it’s complete, and often with- Pointedly, the Dutch Safety Board in- the hook,” so to speak.
out proper context—at times in just 280 vestigation didn’t assign blame by saying It’s exactly when you’re in the middle
characters…but almost always by people who launched the missile. That question of that highly charged atmosphere that
who have a very passionate interest in was left to the criminal investigation, led you need your instruments the most, and
what we're doing. Those people include by the Dutch Justice Ministry’s Public when you must be most strongly focused
not just families and friends of victims, Prosecution Service. And although it’s on your methodology, and most exacting
but journalists, politicians, hobbyists, still under way, the point I want to make and specific in the language that you
bloggers, crusaders. is that it’s a separate investigation being use. Don’t stray too far from what works.
This brings me back to the question I conducted by a separate body. Stick to your mandate and keep the focus
asked earlier, in my opening: How do you Two different goals: safety and account- where it belongs: on safety. That’s what
navigate that highly charged space? How ability. Two different bodies to do the will deliver results. And in doing so, you’ll
do you find the balance and keep the fo- work. maintain and retain public confidence in
cus on safety in that kind of environment? That’s the first way to deal with the your findings, in your processes, in your
Well, for one thing, you certainly can’t hurricane. people, and in your institutions.
respond to every person who shouts out But just because you don’t want to Put simply: the better we do our job,
their opinion on the Internet. Trying to fight a hurricane, it doesn’t mean it’s not and only what is our job—the more we
fight a hurricane is impossible, not to threatening to blow you off course. So demonstrate our independence—the
mention exhausting and counterproduc- you have to take measures to stop it from more the public will believe us and trust
tive. Plus, safety investigators are con- doing so. One of those measures is being us. And, at the end of the day, that’s what
strained by the fact that there often isn’t transparent about what we do and com- allows us to get better buy-in on the safety
much to say while the investigation is still municating that often. actions we recommend.
under way. By that, I mean we have to be transpar- Will any of what I’ve just said stop the
And so part of the answer, I think, is to ent about our process and communicate next hurricane? Unfortunately, no. People
recognize and accept that your investi- why we do what we do. For example, are going to want what they want. And
gation isn’t necessarily the one that will everyone among today’s audience under- sometimes that means they’ll want us to
provide all things to all people. That the stands the concept and benefits of a safe- do things or act in a way that’s outside
objectives of others aren’t necessarily ty-focused investigation, and how that’s our mandate and what we know works.
your objectives. And that there can be, distinct from, say, a criminal investiga- They’re not wrong to want that, either—
and are, multiple avenues or processes for tion. But to the public, that distinction is any more than they’re wrong to have an
those different objectives. often lost. Sometimes people think we’re opinion. But we can’t let ourselves be
A practical example of this is the Dutch going to tell everyone who’s to blame. And blown off course by other people’s desires.
Safety Board’s investigation into the they become very disappointed, and vo- All we can do is adapt and be prepared for
downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, cal, when they learn we don’t do that. And the next hurricane.
which was shot down over Ukraine in so, part of our communication with the The theme of this year’s ISASI event is
2014. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were public is managing expectations by being “Staying Safe: Moving Forward.” And I
killed. clear about what we don’t do, as much as think that what I’m saying today fits
Two parallel investigations were led by what we do do. nicely within that. As I said in my open-
the Dutch. One was a very thorough and Another, final way to prevent ourselves ing, the way we work is constantly
credible safety investigation by the Dutch from being blown off course is to trust evolving. And as we evolve, and as we
Safety Board into the technical cause of our instruments. I’m a pilot and flight move forward in today’s much more
the crash and the issues related to flying instructor, and I say this phrase all the highly charged environment—particular-
in active conflict zones. The other was a time. It’s especially important when the ly with respect to social media—we need
criminal inquiry by judicial authorities in pilot may not have sight of the big picture, to make sure we “stay safe.” That is, we
the Netherlands. And these two investiga- such as visual reference to the ground, need to make sure we avoid being drawn
tions were very, very different by design. and especially when they’re in instrument into politics or debates that are held in
The safety investigation determined meteorological conditions—such as a the court of public opinion, especially
that the aircraft was brought down by a hurricane. when our own work may be far from
surface-to-air missile. The safety investi- In this case, the “instruments” available complete, and our investigators may still
gation also looked at the selection of the to us are our legislation and our meth- be in the field collecting evidence. And we
flight route—noting that some airlines odology. We rely on them to keep us on need to trust our instruments—that is,
had avoided that airspace prior to the course, to keep us level (especially when our rigorous processes and the protec-
shootdown. It asked safety questions like we may not feel level), and to get us to our tions afforded by our respective legisla-
whether the airspace should have been destination safely. We rely on them when tion—to get us where we want to go, both
proactively closed to traffic and recom- victims’ families tell us we should be even for our own integrity and so that we can
mended that states involved in such more hard hitting or that we should be fo- better push for the changes needed to
armed conflicts should exercise more cused on justice and accountability. And make impactful advancements in safety.
October-December 2021 ISASI Forum • 11