After all this they say it crashed based on British satellite data and tell the families through a text message.
That's horrible.
Printable View
How would you do it? All family's were notified prior to the press release. No way you can call 300 family members (unless you call and leave with automated message, but that is hard to do in multiple languages). but you can send a text message to update those family members prior to conference and it can be language specific. IMO the notification prior to the press conference was the right thing to do.
Call immediate family that is local into a conference room and let them know that way. There can't be that many languages present that they couldn't find a translator to make it happen. Who know's maybe this is exactly what went down and the news outlets wrote about the text message thing to generate views etc. Either way, what an awful situation to be in.
Definitely agree with you that family had to be notified before the press was.
They have heard 4 pings that might be black box.
CH3NO2
With no debris you gotta think the landing was out down reasonably soft, keeping plan mostly intact. Gonna be an interesting find if they find it.
This whole thing is baffling to me.