On January 31, 2000, David Marriott received a call from long-time client Alaska Airlines with the horrifying news that Flight 261 had crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. All 88 passengers and crew were killed.
 
Marriott was placed in charge of media response efforts at headquarters including oversight of two call centers handling the immediate and intense media inquiries and updates.  For the following year, David Marriott and Joel VanEtta were embedded at Alaska Airlines headquarters to assist the airline's corporate communications staff in handling the tragedy.

The communications effort was broad and technical including investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and independent safety experts hired by the airline to scrutinize every aspect of operations related to safety.

While nothing could reduce the human impact of the Flight 261 tragedy, Alaska Airlines was complimented for the way it handled the communications challenges presented by the accident.  Its swift response and steady willingness to update and provide information was guided and implemented by a long-established crisis communications plan developed by the Gogerty Marriott team.