Southwest Flight Social Feeds Remind Airlines Tragedies Are Public in Real Time Now

Airline passengers have always loved taking photos on airplanes, whether it’s the food on their tray tables, the view outside the window or celebrating with champagne flutes. But last week brought a new watershed in the use of electronic devices on board planes, making the world aware of an airplane in crisis in real time. Marty Martinez, a passenger on Southwest Flight 1830, broadcast from the aircraft via Facebook Live soon after the airplane’s engine blew out, forcing an emergency landing in Philadelphia. A passenger died during the incident. Martinez paid $8 to purchase internet access, thinking he would capture his “final moments on earth,” he later told CNN. Starting while the plane was still in the air, he uploaded two videos and a series of photos to his Facebook page, showing himself with an oxygen mask, as well as damage to the aircraft. Pete Bigelow, a licensed pilot and automotive journalist, said he was appalled by Martinez’s actions. “Other p