### US AIRWAYS

November 11,2013
VIA ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION Docket OST-1996-1960 U.S. Department ofTransportation Docket Management Facility 1200New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL Michael Crook Coordinator, Transportation Disaster Operations National Transportation Safety Board 490 L'Enfant Plaza East, SW Washington, DC 20594 Re: Updated US Airways Family Assistance Plan Dear Ms. Ames and Mr. Crook: Enclosed istheupdated US Airways Family Assistance Plan, which ishereby filed in accordance with the provisions of49U.S.C. 

## SS41113 and 1136, andthe Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act, as amended. The enclosed plan supersedes those that were previously filed byUS Airways.
. Ifyou have any questions about the enclosed plan, please contact me orDeborah Thompson, US Airways' Director ofEmergency Planning andResponse. The US Airways Operations Control Center should becontacted immediately inthe event ofanemergency. Sincerely,

Enclosure
cc: Paul Sledzik, NTSB (via electronic mail) Daeleen Chesley, DOT (via electronic mail)

1401HStreetNW, Suite 1075,Washington, DC 20005:

# ---- u.s AIR"W"AYS FamilyAssistance Plan

This Plan was developed in accordance with the provisions of 49 U.S.C. ~~41113 and 1136, and the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996, as amended, and will be utilized by USAirways and carriers operating as USAirways Express.

## TABLE OFCONTENTS

INTRODUCTION : 3 PROVISION OFFAMILY ASSISTANCE 4 COMMITMENT OF SUFFICIENT RESOURCES 5 HUMANITARIAN TEAM 6 TRAINING 7 FAMILY INQUIRIES : 8 FAMILY NOTIFICATION , 9 COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING PROMPT NOTIFICATION 10 RELEASING PASSENGER NAMES 11 PROVIDING THE PASSENGER LIST 12 FAMILY TRAVEL TO ACCIDENT LOCATION 13 ASSISTANCE AT ACCIDENT AND GATHERING LOCATIONS 14 DISPOSITION OF REMAINS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS 

### 15 ASSOCIATION WITH DESIGNATED ORGANIZATION 16 COMPENSATION OFDESIGNATED ORGANIZATION 

### 17 SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE 18 NTSB PUBLIC HEARINGS 19 MONUMENTS 20 CONTACT LIST : 21

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### INTRODUCTION

The US Airways Family Assistance Plan ("the Plan") incorporates family assistance-related elements of the US Airways Emergency Response Manual ("ERM") and Emergency Response Plan ("ERP"), and describes how US Airways and affiliated carriers. ("the Airline") willprovide assistance to passengers' family members after an accident... The Plan complies with the requirements of49U.S.C. 

## SS41113 and 1136. The Airline will allocate resources sufficient to provide family assistance in the event of an accident, including retention of certain vendors possessing expertise in specialized family assistance services. All Airline personnel providing survivor and/or family assistance will be trained in crisis response, and will be required to demonstrate compassion, technical expertise and professionalism.

• The Plan also applies to the following carriers operating as US Airways Express: Air Wisconsin Airlines; Mesa Air; Piedmont Airlines; PSA Airlines; Republic Airlines; SkyWest Airlines; andTrans States Airlines.

•• The term "accident" refers to any aviation disaster, regardless ofits cause, that iscovered by theAviation Disaster Family Assistance Actof 1996, asamended.

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### PROVISION OFFAMILY ASSISTANCE

The Airline provides uniform family assistance without regard to an individual's status as a revenue customer, non-revenue passenger, orother victim ofthe accident. Inthe event theAirline voluntarily provides family assistance toUnited States citizens within the United States as a result of an accident occurring outside the United States, the Airline will coordinate with appropriate personnel within the National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") andthe Department ofState.

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### COMMITMENT OF SUFFICIENT RESOURCES

The Airline utilizes comprehensive corporate, operational, and local emergency response and family assistance programs in the event of an accident. In such situations, hundreds of motivated, specially-trained employees work on issues such as family assistance, incident investigation, media relations and communication with government agencies and support organizations. These employees are directed through the Airline's dedicated command center network. The Airline maintains cooperative working relationships with all organizations involved in a crisis. Ithas designed its emergency response structure to facilitate the effective management of acrisis, while ensuring the continued safe operation ofthe Airline.

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### HUMANITARIAN TEAM

US Airways' ERP requires coordination among numerous Airline departments. The Airline's Humanitarian Team manages the needs of families after an accident and is comprised of personnel inthe Airline's Family Support Center andCare Team. The Family Support Center is staffed with employees from Customer Relations, Reservations, and US Airways corporate headquarters who have been trained in family assistance. It is the primary liaison between the Airline and the families affected by an accident, and facilitates the care and support required bythe families following an accident. The Care Team is comprised of management employees, Station personnel, Sales employees, Finance employees, and Flight Attendants who aredeployed to accident locations tofacilitate the needs of survivors and families. Care Team members work closely with the Family Support Center, and are assigned tofamilies tofacilitate their immediate needs while onlocation. Family Support Center personnel and Care Team members will, as appropriate, coordinate assistance from the organization designated under 49 U.S.C. 

## S l136(a)(2) as having primary responsibility forcoordinating the emotional care and support ofthe families. The Humanitarian Team is also supported by departmental command centers assembled to develop a response based on departmental expertise, and an administrative support team deployed tothe accident location.

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### TRAINING

The Airline conducts annual training for new Family Support Center and Care Team members, as well as recurrent training for all personnel identified as Humanitarian Team members. The Airline also conducts periodic emergency drills to ensure comprehensive response preparedness. Topics addressed during training include:

• Roles of Family Support Center and Care Team personnel, and the importance offamily assistance after anaccident;
• Elements ofaviation accidents;
• Crisis communication skills;
• Family notification and initial contact process; • Griefprocess; • Support and logistics;
• Media relations; and
• Provision andconsideration forthe well-being ofallteam members.

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### FAMILY INQUIRIES

The Airline will publish a toll-free telephone number for accident-related calls as soon as practicable after its Operations Control Center confirms that an aircraft operated by the Airline has been involved in an accident. The toll-free number will be staffed by trained Reservations Agents who will beprepared to answer questions and provide information authorized forrelease by the Airline's Corporate Communications Department. Upon request by the family of a passenger, the Airline will inform the family whether the passenger's name appears on the Unconfirmed Manifest forthe accident flight. The Family Support Center will maintain an additional, unpublished toll-free telephone number that immediate family members may use fordirect contact with the Family Support Center. This telephone number will be provided to families upon initial contact with the Family Support Center.

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### FAMILY NOTIFICATION

Following notification ofan aircraft accident, the Airline will "lock down" flight records related to passengers' names, itineraries and reservations for the accident flight in order to restrict unauthorized access. The Airline willproduce aConfirmed Manifest inastimely amanner as is practicable. When the Confirmed Manifest is available, the appropriate Family Support Center personnel will begin the family notification process. Where family members are present at secure facilities indeparture, arrival, and connecting airports, they will be notified inperson. 

### In order to avoid undue delays, allother families willbenotified viatelephone. Callers who inquire about names listed on the Confirmed Manifest will be connected to trained employees in the Family Support Center. These Family Support Center employees will establish lines of

.communication between the families andtheAirline.

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### COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING PROMPT NOTIFICATION

The Airline is committed to providing timely notification to passengers' families, and will complete that process as soon as practicable. A system has been established to ensure that identification and notification ofpassengers' family members isundertaken as soon asconfirmed information is available. The Airline will notifYaconfirmed passenger's family as soon as ithas verified that their family member was aboard the aircraft, regardless ofwhether all passengers have yetbeen verified. While the Family Support Center mobilizes immediately, identifYing and contacting some passengers' families may be delayed where inaccurate or incomplete contact information has been provided tothe Airline.

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### RELEASING PASSENGER NAMES

The Airline will not release the Confirmed Manifest to the public, absent the presence of extenuating circumstances. Any decision to publicly release the Confirmed Manifest will be made bytheAirline's senior executives based onanevaluation oftheunderlying circumstances. Prior to any public release ofthe Confirmed Manifest, the Airline will verify that allpassengers' families have been notified. To the extent possible, the Airline will honor requests by families nottorelease the names oftheir family members.

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### 11

### PROVIDING THE PASSENGER LIST

Immediately upon request, the Airline will provide a copy ofthe passenger manifest, based on the best information available atthe time, tothe NTSB Director ofFamily Support Services and the organization designated under 49 U.S.C. 

## S I136(a)(2) as having primary responsibility for coordinating the emotional care and support ofthe families. The Airline willperiodically update and reissue thepassenger manifest as additional, confirmed information isreceived. The Airline will transmit alist ofthe names ofconfirmed foreign nationals tothe Department of State tofacilitate interaction with appropriate foreign government personnel.

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### FAMILY TRAVEL TOACCIDENT LOCATION

The Airline will assist passengers' families intraveling to the location ofthe accident and will provide for the physical care of the families during their stay, including but not limited to transportation tothe accident siteorhospital location, lodging, meals, security, communications, and incidental expenses. The Family Support Center will maintain daily contact with families who electnottotravel tothe accident location until the on-scene investigation has concluded. In order to assist family members as they travel to and from the accident location, the Airline will notify flight crews and airport personnel of family members aboard particular flights. At departure, connecting, and arrival airports, dedicated Care Team members will meet with and assist family members. If requested, the Airline will work with the responsible authorities, including the NTSB, to arrange sitevisits by family members, asmay beappropriate. Access tothe accident sitemay be limited by terrain and/or hazardous materials concerns, security measures, or other unforeseen conditions.

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### ASSISTANCE ATACCIDENT AND GATHERING LOCATIONS

To.the extent practicable, the Airline will secure suitable facilities at departure, arrival and connecting airports for family members who may be gathering. These secure facilities will enable family members to achieve some privacy, andfacilitate theprovision ofupdates regarding thereconciliation ofthepassenger manifest andother accident information. The Airline will also establish afacility near the accident site tobe used as aFamily Assistance Center. The Airline will make provision foraJoint Family Support Operations Center to include space, communication, and logistical support forthe local andfederal staff. The Airline will assign Care Team members trained in crisis response to meet privately with family members once they arrive atthe accident location. The Airline will assist family members asthey depart the accident location and maintain contact until no longer appropriate. The Airline will coordinate family access to briefings held by the NTSB or other government agencies.

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### DISPOSITION OFREMAINS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS

Recovery, identification, and disposition ofremains are the responsibility ofthe local medical examiner, coroner, or other designated authority. The Airline will comply with decisions made by the responsible authority, and will, to the extent practicable, consult with and communicate families' preferences regarding the disposition andhandling ofpassenger remains. The Airline will retain vendors experienced inrecovery and restoration ofpersonal effects. The Airline, or arepresentative ofits vendor, will consult with families regarding belongings within theAirline's control that are identified aspassenger possessions. Personal effects will be offered for return to the families, regardless of their condition, unless required forthe accident investigation orany criminal investigation. Unclaimed personal effects willberetained bythe Airline oritsvendor for aperiod ofatleast 18 months.

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### ASSOCIATION WITH DESIGNATED ORGANIZA nON

The Airline will establish a liaison with the organization designated by the Chairman of the NTSB under 49U.S.C. 

## S 1136(a)(2) asanindependent nonprofit organization with experience in disasters and post-trauma communication with families, and win identify that organization to families ofpassengers to ensure that they receive appropriate services and assistance following anaccident.

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### COMPENSATION OFDESIGNATED ORGANIZATION

The Airline will provide reasonable compensation to the organization designated by the Chairman oftheNTSB under 49U.S.C. 

## S 1136(a)(2), ifrequested bythat organization following an accident. The organization shall submit to the Airline for approval asummary ofits planned activities and anticipated expenses prior to the organization's mobilization or provision of such services. Changes to the organization's planned activities and unanticipated expenses shall be coordinated with theAirline's designated point ofcontact forfamily assistance. The organization will provide the Airline with invoices and itemized listings of services and expenses.

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### SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE

To the extent practicable, the Airline will promptly provide written notice to the owners ofany non-government owned, man-made structures or other property on the ground that receives significant damage as aresult ofanaccident. The written notice will advise the owners:

• To contact the insurer ofthe property as the authoritative source for information about coverage and compensation;

• To not rely on unofficial information offered by Airline representatives about compensation by the Airline for accident site property damage; and

• To obtain photographic or other detailed evidence ofproperty damage as soon as possible after an accident, consistent with restrictions on access tothe accident site.

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### NTSB PUBLIC HEARINGS

In the case of an accident in which the NTSB conducts a public hearing or comparable proceeding atalocation greater than 80miles from the accident site, the Airline will ensure that the proceeding ismade available simultaneously atalocation open tothe public atthe origin and destination cities ofthe subject flight, ifthose cities areinthe United States.

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### MONUMENTS

The Airline will consult with the family ofeach passenger regarding construction by the Airline ofany monument tothepassengers, and any inscription included on such monument. Should a monument be constructed by the Airline, the Airline will consult with and consider input from families, along with applicable statutory. or regulatory requirements. While it is desirable that every family agree with the specific design, it may not be possible to obtain unanimous agreement. To avoid extended delays, the Airline will adopt aplan agreeable to a majority ofthe families. Each family will be given the option ofincluding their passenger's name ifan inscription ofthe names isincorporated inthe design.

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### CONTACT

Theprincipal point ofcontact regarding US Airways' Family Assistance Plan is:

Deborah Thompson Director ofEmergency Planning &Response US Ai~ways, Inc.

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