Hours after the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport, the city’s fire chief reported that two had been confirmed killed and at least 60 of the passengers and crew were still unaccounted for. The whereabouts of Facebook executive and “Lean In” author Sheryl Sandberg, though, were quickly confirmed. Sandberg explained in a Facebook post that she was scheduled to have been on the flight but changed her plans at the last minute — giving the media something to talk about in the vacuum of information relative to the emergency at hand.
Have to love that someone w/Sheryl Sandberg's moola, is traveling w/airline miles. Girl loves a deal. pic.twitter.com/tSU1nyMFGk
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) July 6, 2013
It was the Facebook post that launched a thousand headlines.
Sheryl Sandberg: I was supposed to be on crash-landed Asiana Airlines flight http://t.co/p7lviiKZoC
— Salon (@Salon) July 6, 2013
The flight not taken: Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg was almost on plane that crashed at San Francisco's airport http://t.co/oBRUEO6yPM
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 6, 2013
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg planned to be on flight that crashed at #SFO http://t.co/CLUZBz4y6x
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 6, 2013
Sheryl Sandberg: My family and I were supposed to be on the plane that crashed http://t.co/MzFH9ZoxOz
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) July 6, 2013
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg reschedules flight, avoids plane crash http://t.co/KD2zKibd2r
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 6, 2013
Sheryl Sandberg switched from crashed #SFO Asiana Airlines Flight http://t.co/2GKJPAk8S7
— ABC News (@ABC) July 6, 2013
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/353659511912923137
The fact that Sandberg — who was nowhere near the crash — quickly became the media “face” of the fatal tragedy didn’t sit well with some.
@aburnspolitico She still was NOT on the plane. We're standing by for updates.
— Celeste Headlee (@CelesteHeadlee) July 6, 2013
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/353640095452110849
https://twitter.com/davidsirota/status/353650877304811520
US-news outlets replacing actual details of horrifying plane crash for a @sherylsandberg anecdote about missing the flight. Great.
— Hype O'Saurus Rex (@HypeOSaurusRex) July 6, 2013
https://twitter.com/BrianPHickey/status/353661522297356289
Dear NBC News: Sheryl Sandberg not on a plane that crashed isn't nearly the most important story re: #sfocrash. http://t.co/SYxU7IW1eL
— (((John Amussen))) ? ? ? (@JRA81) July 6, 2013
so what is the point of sheryl sandberg publicizing that she was supposed to be on the plane that crashed @ SFO. plz enlighten me.
— SPOOKIANA ?✨ (@sammie_scottie) July 6, 2013
A Boeing 777 crashes at SFO today yet somehow Sheryl Sandberg *not* being on board is "news."
— Linda Constant ??? (@lindaconstant) July 6, 2013
Are we really going to make Sheryl Sandberg the Waylon Jennings of this plane crash? Ridiculous…#sfo
— Mama's Little Hand Washer (@SudsandSpin) July 6, 2013
Whew, I think we can all sleep a little bit better tonight knowing Sheryl Sandberg wasn’t on that flight
— Mike Tellinghuisen (@mtellin) July 6, 2013
While plenty found the media’s angle on the story ridiculous, Richard Grenell reiterated that media malpractice in the face of tragedy was no laughing matter.
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/353656785443364865
@RichardGrenell Pretty sure that was sarcasm. Maybe advise your pal Greta et al to report on people actually on the damn plane.
— Kelly Steele (@steelekelly) July 6, 2013
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/353658812068147200
Join the conversation as a VIP Member