WHITE HOUSE
COMMSSION ON AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY
THE DOT STATUS REPORT
4. Responding to Aviation Disasters
4.1--The National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB) should finalize by April 1997 its coordinated
federal response plan to aviation disasters, and Congress should
provide the NTSB with increased funding to address its new
responsibilities.
- The NTSB has finalized a federal plan to
respond to commercial aviation disasters. The plan has
been implemented in four aviation disasters, including
the Korean Air 801 disaster on August 6, 1997, in Guam.
The NTSB has filled the seven Congressionally
appropriated staff positions to carry out its family
assistance responsibilities. The new program's needs have
been incorporated in the NTSB's budget process. Other
departments, including Justice, Defense, Transportation,
Health & Human Services, and FEMA, are providing NTSB
with logistical and personnel support needed to fulfill
the NTSB Family Support role.
4.2--The Department of Transportation
should coordinate the development of plans for responding to
aviation disasters involving civilians on government aircraft.
- The White House Commission recognized that
the families of those who gave their lives serving their
countries should receive assistance comparable to that
provided to the families of passengers affected by
commercial aviation disasters. The Department led an
interagency working group (IWG) to review governmental
policies on this subject. The Department has also met
with the families of those who have lost loved ones on
government aircraft to determine how the government can
better its response to their needs. The IWG prepared a
statement of rights and benefits to be distributed to
civilians who board government aircraft; evaluated
existing laws and regulations which affect those involved
in aviation disasters involving government aircraft; and
proposed a model plan for agencies to incorporate in
providing assistance to families.
4.3--The Department of Transportation and
the NTSB should implement key provisions of the Aviation Disaster
Family Assistance Act of 1996 by March 31, 1997.
- The Secretarys Task Force on the
Assistance to Families of Aviation Disasters was
appointed on March 5, 1997. Secretary Slater and Chairman
Hall co-chaired the Task Force. The Task Force held nine
public meetings to examine issues relating to the
assistance provided to families -- both by the airlines
and the federal government -- as outlined in both the
Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act ("Act")
as well as within this recommendation. The Task Force
issued its report containing 61 recommendations to
Congress and the Vice President in October 1997. Both the
federal government and the industry are implementing many
of the Task Forces' recommendations.
- 166 U.S. air carriers have filed Family
Assistance Plans with the DOT and NTSB on their plans to
assist families in the event of an aviation disaster. The
DOT and NTSB are now working with over 300 foreign air
carriers as they prepare to file Family Assistance Plans,
which are due in June 1998.
4.4--The United States Government should
ensure that family members of victims of international aviation
disasters receive just compensation and equitable treatment
through the application of federal laws and international
treaties.
- Legislation has been introduced in the
Congress to ensure equitable treatment for families of
passengers involved in international aviation disasters.
The Department is supporting legislation to amend the
Death on the High Seas Act which would enable the family
members of those killed in international aviation
disasters to obtain fair compensation.
4.5-- Provisions should be made to ensure
the availability of funding for extraordinary cost associated
with accident response.
- At the request of the Congress, the DOT
and the NTSB will submit a report to the Congress on
methods to ensure that necessary and appropriate funds
are available to federal, state and local governments in
the event of an aviation disaster. These funds would be
used primarily in the recovery and identification of the
remains of disaster victims. The NTSB is also examining
issues related to payment to local governments for their
extraordinary costs with disaster response.
4.6--Federal agencies should establish
peer support programs to assist rescue, investigative, law
enforcement, counseling and other personnel involved in aviation
disaster response.
- The Interagency Work Group headed by DOT
on how to assist families involved in aviation disasters
on government aircraft is also examining how peer support
programs be established within Federal agencies to assist
both families of civilians killed on government aircraft
as well as the agencies' employees responding to the
disaster. The FAA has already modified its
employee-counseling program to add a peer-support
component for FAA employees and their families involved
in aviation disasters.
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