Managing Communications During an Aircraft Disaster

The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation disaster and how they can prepare for their role with the media.

October 27-28, 2009
$654 for all applications with payment received no later than September 27, 2009
$715 for all applications with payment received September 28 - October 21, 2009
$765 for all applications with payment submitted between October 22 and
12:00 pm (noon) ET on October 26, 2009
$50 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications (starting October 1, 2008)

Save on travel, time and expenses - attend a related course in the same week.
Transportation Disaster Response - Airport Preparedness Program presented by the NTSB is offered October 29, 2009.

• How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community
• Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation
• How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media
• Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident
• Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others

SPECIAL CASE STUDIES:

Representatives from Denver International Airport, Continental Airlines and US Airways will talk about how they responded to the following accidents:

• 737 runway excursion in Denver (Dec. 2008),
• A-320 ditching in the Hudson River (January 2009), and the
• Bombardier Dash 8 crash near Buffalo (February 2009)

> Comments from course participants
> See the 152 organizations that have sent staff to attend this course

• Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant’s airport
• Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested
• Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation.
• Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why
• Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster

This course is targeted to employees of airports, airlines and corporations with aviation departments who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities.

Email TrainingCenter@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900

Courses, forums and symposia are added to the schedule throughout the year.  Subscribe to the e-newsletter to learn about upcoming events and new programs: http://www.ntsb.gov/TC/list/list.htm