Is there a protocol against telling passengers about certain malfunctions or emergencies to avoid causing alarm?
There is a widespread belief that airlines intentionally withhold information when something goes wrong. In reality, there is no formal policy against advising passengers about the nature or extent of any problem, other than common-sense stipulations to avoid inflammatory words and descriptions that might induce undue worry or panic. That’s not to say that pilots will let you know about every burned-out light bulb or minor technical issue, but if anything occurs that poses a potential hazard, you will hear about it. This needs to be the case, for the purpose of evacuation planning, etc. As for why this particular crew said nothing, I have no idea. Certainly the presence of fire trucks or ambulances warrants an explanation, regardless of the reason. It may have been a passenger medical issue, and even minor mechanical or electrical malfunctions can result in the calling out of emergency vehicles — as in this story — but that is not an excuse for staying silent. Personally, I can’t ima
