Elise Eberwein statement on Sky Harbor Death

[HP_JACK]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/o...usairways1.html


Her statement seems a bit harsh. In addition I cannot come to terms that a Mesa Airlines flight had its doors closed and ready to go 8 min early.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Don't know if has been posted somewhere already, but here is the WaPo op-ed piece:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7101201887.html

A DEATH FORETOLD
Why Flying Now Can Kill

By A.L. Bardach
Sunday, October 14, 2007; Page B01

I am haunted by the death of Carol Anne Gotbaum.

I didn't know the mother of three who died shackled to a bench in the Phoenix airport on Sept. 28, en route to an alcohol treatment center in Tucson. I don't know, beyond what I read in the newspapers, what troubles weighed on her. But I do know this: Based on my own recent flight experiences, hers was a death foretold. .........

 

[Dog Wonder]

There has not been, nor will there be an occasion where US Airways will admit mistakes were made.

Unless of course, a 'resounding success' in converting to SHARES turns into a months long debacle.

 

[EMBFA]

I think the statement was very well done and she should be applauded. US is a lot of things, but not a murderer. This woman's own demons caused her death, nothing to do with US Airways, Mesa, or airline overbooking. The suggestion is ridiculous.

I've seen some unfortunate incidents with people enroute to rehab. Oftentimes they have a stopover in one of the hubs where temptation looms. They should be sent with an escort to safely get them through the physically and emotionally tough journey.

 

[hp_fa]

This will sound really harsh, but I do not think she should have been travelling alone. For a family that has the ability to hire publicists, attorneys and a private coroner after the fact, why didn't they have anyone travel with her?

 

[necigrad]

Eberwein was doing her job. The original Washington Post article forced her had, as that article was libelous. US Airways had nothing to do with Ms. Gotbaums death, other then being part of the story of it. Even implying that US Airways might have been involved in any, even distant, manner is comparable to blaming the MTA in New York City for someone jumping off one of their bridges. The Washington Post (I believe it was written by their staff, thus I infer it's the papers position) chose to use this incident to make unrelated derogatory comments (however true or untrue) in a fashion of deliberate malice. The Post article was completly uncalled for.

 

[hp_fa]

The Washington Post (I believe it was written by their staff, thus I infer it's the papers position) chose to use this incident to make unrelated derogatory comments (however true or untrue) in a fashion of deliberate malice. The Post article was completly uncalled for.

I believe it was an op-ed piece by a non-Post writer. Now whether the Post had responsibility to fact-check the piece is another question.

 

[PHX-F/A]

I think the statement was very well done and she should be applauded. US is a lot of things, but not a murderer. This woman's own demons caused her death, nothing to do with US Airways, Mesa, or airline overbooking. The suggestion is ridiculous.

I've seen some unfortunate incidents with people enroute to rehab. Oftentimes they have a stopover in one of the hubs where temptation looms. They should be sent with an escort to safely get them through the physically and emotionally tough journey.

If Gotbaum was so unstable, why did her family let her travel alone? She did'nt go to the gate when she should have because she was probably in the bar.

 

[HP_JACK]

For some reason her statement just bugs me, it seems phony. It doesn't seem sympathetic to the family. If we have no place debating it.. why did she respond to the Washongton Post article? I definitley agree the family needs to take some respomsibility here as to why there was no escort.

One more thing that bothers me that Elise Eberwein calls us hard working employees of USAIRWAYS. I'm happy to see that she is defending the employees but it takes a tragic incident like this to get praise and recognition. I don't feel like we are treated like the hard working employees of US Airways, especially by her.

 

[PHX PHLyer]

For some reason her statement just bugs me, it seems phony. It doesn't seem sympathetic to the family. If we have no place debating it.. why did she respond to the Washongton Post article? I definitley agree the family needs to take some respomsibility here as to why there was no escort.

One more thing that bothers me that Elise Eberwein calls us hard working employees of USAIRWAYS. I'm happy to see that she is defending the employees but it takes a tragic incident like this to get praise and recognition. I don't feel like we are treated like the hard working employees of US Airways, especially by her.

Did you read the original article in the Washington Post? It was the most irresponsible piece of journalism I have ever witnessed. I wrote to the Washington Post asking how they could publish such a poorly written and poorly checked piece. It literally, more or less, said that it was all US Airways'/Mesa's fault for her death and that they should be tried for murder. Say what you want to about overbooking, US, YV, etc., etc., but outright blaming ANYONE in this death is just ludicrous. I think the statement from US was well written and necessary. I think US could have taken it a step further and really tried to dig into that column. It was just such an unfounded bashing...it deserved it. All of you who are US employees should have been offended by the piece published, and should be happy that your company stood up for you.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

This will sound really harsh, but I do not think she should have been travelling alone. For a family that has the ability to hire publicists, attorneys and a private coroner after the fact, why didn't they have anyone travel with her?

hp_fa,
My thoughts exactly. Have you listened to her husband's call to the PHX airport police? He was telling the authorities how unstable she is and how she needs to be handled and how they need to be careful with her, she's not a drunk, she's a very sick woman, blah, blah, blah. I was listening to him and thought to myself -- why wasn't he with her? Something is not right.

Later,
Eye

 

[hp_fa]

Have you listened to her husband's call to the PHX airport police? He was telling the authorities how unstable she is and how she needs to be handled and how they need to be careful with her, she's not a drunk, she's a very sick woman, blah, blah, blah. I was listening to him and thought to myself -- why wasn't he with her? Something is not right.

Later,
Eye

Yes, I heard it.

Like I said, someone should have been travelling with her even if it was a friend, therapist or family member. Hell, if I was working a flight and someone told me a story that they were heading for an outpatient facillity, were all alone and not feeling well I would have either taken that person under my wing and made sure they were OK before I left.

It is a sad situation that could have totally been avoided if the family had done the right thing from the beginning. Instead they seem to be lashing out at others because of their collective failures and guilty consciences.

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

hp_fa,
My thoughts exactly. Have you listened to her husband's call to the PHX airport police? He was telling the authorities how unstable she is and how she needs to be handled and how they need to be careful with her, she's not a drunk, she's a very sick woman, blah, blah, blah. I was listening to him and thought to myself -- why wasn't he with her? Something is not right.

Later,
Eye

Amen and ditto.

Only because this happened in a USAir wing of a public airport makes it a news story.

Truly my heart sank when I first read this story.

I do not understand why the treatment center and/or family failed to provide an escort.

Money for lawyers but not for simple human mercy.....

 

[missthe727]

Another version of the story can also be found in this weeks People Magazine where even a friend of hers agrees she should not have been traveling on her own.
I've worked many flights to MSP where people were traveling to the big famous rehab center up there---can't remember the name---one guy had booze in his bag & got toasted on the flight and then started crying all over this pass riding pilots wife telling her he was going to rehab and he hoped when he arrived drunk they wouldn't admit him....if the problem is serious enough to warrant a one month stay then the problem is serious enough to have an escort to the place where they are going to get help.....I feel very sad for this family but don't blame the airline--all they did was deny boarding and call security when a passenger got out of hand......just my opinion.

 

[phllax]

She apparently was either on the non-stop B6 or CO flight to TUS, but decided to see her kids off to school that fateful day and missed that flight and instead ended up on US via PHX.