The Black Box with Ken Jenkins

Ken flies solo this week to discuss perplexing issues about the effectiveness of a solid emergency response plan. He reviews exercises and drills, and discusses how signing a check doesn't absolve liability regarding third party vendors and how they represent an organization during crisis.

Ken offers an inside look into United Airlines' recent situation involving a viral video of a passenger being forcibly removed from an aircraft and the impact of social media and the airlines own response to the situation. Ken invites Jeff Crilley, President and CEO of Real News PR, into the studio to analyze United's response to the incident and discuss the PR backlash that followed United's response.

Ken and Larry continue the conversation from Episode 9, with Larry recalling several more peculiar corporate security and aviation stories from his time serving in the FBI through his tenure at American Airlines to his current position as the head of Security for the Dallas Cowboys.

Ken invites longtime friend and colleague Larry Wansley into the studio to reflect on his career in public security which includes his background as a former marine, his experience as an FBI agent and the various accident responses including the 9/11 terror attacks while serving as the Managing Director of Security for American Airlines. Ken and Larry discuss the various aspects of maintaining security in the aftermath of an adverse event.

Ken welcomes former American Airlines Managing Director of Risk and longtime colleague Christa Hinckley into the studio to reflect on her career in disaster litigation and offer insight into the impact of legal proceedings in the wake of a tragedy.

In Episode 7 of The Black Box, Ken Jenkins is joined by Lee Taft, an expert in values-driven crisis response and the role of apology in prompting forgiveness in the wake of an adverse event. Ken & Lee discuss liability fears, apology, and airline standards and practices and also examine the delicate line companies walk when bridging legal and humanistic response to errors.

When a disaster occurs, what steps can we take to ensure our emergency response is as effective as possible? Ken welcomes the President of Keppel Aviation Safety Consultants Mike Keppel. Mike is a former American Airlines Manager of Safety and former Director of Emergency Response and Internal Audits for TWA. Mike will share his insight into contemporary Safety Management Systems (SMS) by analyzing the five key components that make up any effective Safety Management System and examining how SMS could be applied to situations such as The Miracle on the Hudson (US Air Flight 1549).

What does it mean for a business to become crisis competent? Having the resources needed to support the organization operations during and following a disaster are the foundation of business continuity. Dr. David Lindstedt, Founder of Readiness Analytics and co-author of “Adaptive Business Continuity” joins Ken for Episode 5 to explore how a business continuity plan can strengthen an organizations emergency response plan.

In Episode 4, Ken shifts into the role of interviewee as he fields questions about his past work at American Airlines, his role in Emergency Response Management, and some of his most influential experiences both on and off the tarmac.

In Episode 3, Ken examines how commercial airlines and airports respond to aviation disasters in regards to the family members associated with the victims of a crash. Ken assesses what the family response protocols were prior to and subsequently following the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996. Jennifer Stansberry Miller, the Founder and President of Connections, a Disaster Resource Consortium, joins Ken on the show to discuss her brothers death in the crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 and how she became a critical contributor to the ADFAA.

In Episode 2, Ken dissects the station response of a commercial airline in regards to an aviation disaster by taking a deeper look at the highs and lows of how a commercial airline responds to a plane crash on airport property. Retired American Airlines General Manager Greg Klein joins Ken in the studio to tell the story of how he and his team responded to the crash of American Airlines Flight 1420 upon landing on June 1st, 1999 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

In the aftermath of a commercial aviation accident what is the process for accident investigation? Who are the players and what are their roles? Aviation Emergency Response consultant Ken Jenkins interviews Tommy McFall, a former National Transportation Safety Board and American Airlines investigator to get the answers.In addition, Ken will delve in to how accident investigation may differ outside of the United States by exploring the on scene activities involving the crash of American Airlines Flight 965 in Cali, Columbia on December 20, 1995. We will examine the accident investigation, as well as the humanitarian response for this tragic accident.