HERON AVIATION - U.S. Family Assistance Plan 

Heron Aviation (HRN) has adopted the following plan to address the needs of families of passengers 

involved in accidents in the United States involving aircraft operated by HRN (“Family Assistance 

Plan”), as required by Title 49 of the United States Code, Section 41313. The provisions and 

procedures of this Plan have been incorporated into HRN’ comprehensive crisis management policy 

outlined in its EAPM, which integrates family assistance and emergency response procedures for 

HRN employees and contractors to follow in response to crisis situations associated with TJS 

operations. 

The purpose of this Family Assistance Plan is to ensure that organized procedures are 

followed and suitable efforts are made to provide thorough assistance and support for family 

members of victims and survivors affected by an aviation disaster within the United States involving 

an aircraft operated by HRN. Under this Plan, services to families 

will be furnished without regard to an onboard individual’s status as a revenue passenger, nonrevenue passenger, or crew member, and without regard to nationality. To facilitate the family 

assistance and notification processes, HRN will collect the full names of passengers who are travelling 

to and from the United States, as well as the names and telephone numbers of these passengers’ 

emergency points of contact. 

HRN will activate its EAPM immediately after one of its aircraft is involved in a serious or fatal 

accident and, in the event of an aviation disaster that occurs within the United States, regardless of

its cause or suspected cause, the specific procedures of this Family Assistance Plan will apply. HRN 

activities under this Plan are part of a larger organized effort to provide the highest level of support 

to survivors and family members affected by an aviation disaster, which involves the National 

Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) and many other governmental agencies. 

1. Upon learning of an accident in the United States involving an aircraft under the control of Heron 

Aviation, HRN will publicize a reliable, toll-free telephone number to accept calls from families of 

passengers involved in the accident. 

Telephone hotline and initial call-centre responsibilities are organized as per the EAPM procedure. in

case of insuficient capacity, more capacity will be subcontracted with a qualified organization such as 

Gemeinsame Auskunftsstelle – Emergency Procedures Information Centre (“GASTEPIC”), located at 

Munich-Airport.. 
In the event of an accident that involves a significant loss of life, the HRN EAPM TL will immediately

request activation of the toll-free hotline and HRN Call Centre. 

The EAPM TL will activate a toll-free telephone number designated specifically for public inquiries 

regarding the accident (which has been reserved and is ready for prompt activation at any time). 

Upon activation, the TL managing the HRN Call Centre will: 

Advise call centre personnel that the toll-free number has been activated and they should be 

prepared to begin answering telephone calls. 

Advise the HRN EAPM TL the toll-free number has been activated and is ready for publication to the 

media. 

2. In the event of an aircraft accident that results in a significant loss of life involving an 

aircraft under HRN Services’ control, HRN will notify, in person to the extent practicable, the families 

of passengers involved in the accident prior to providing any public notice of the names of such 

passengers, either by utilizing the services of the organization designated for the accident under 49 

U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2) or the services of other suitably trained individuals. 

As each name on the manifest is verified, the passenger’s name will be assigned to a trained 

Emergency Response Team member who is responsible for notifying the family. 

Sources of information team members may use to obtain family member contact information 

include: 

Emergency contact information collected from the passenger; 

Travel agency phone numbers; 

Inbound phone calls; and 

Passport information. 

Upon request of the family of a passenger, HRN will inform the family of whether the passenger’s 

name appeared on a preliminary passenger manifest for the flight involved in the accident whether 

or not the name of that person has been verified. 
3. In each case, HRN will provide notification to family members as soon as practicable after HRN has 

verified the identity of each passenger who was aboard the aircraft, whether or not the names of all 

the passengers have been verified. 

4. Immediately upon request, HRN will provide the NTSB-designated director of family support 

services and the organisation designated for the accident under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2) a list 

(with periodic updates) of the names of the passengers aboard the aircraft based on the best 

available information at that time, whether or not such names have been verified. The list will be 

marked “Not for Public Release.” 

5. HRN will consult with the family of each passenger regarding the disposition of all remains and 

personal effects of the passenger within its control. 

6. If requested by the family of a passenger, HRN will return to the family any possession (regardless

of its condition) of the passenger within the control of HRN unless the possession is needed for the 

accident investigation or a criminal investigation.

7. HRN will retain any unclaimed possession of a passenger within the control of HRN for at least 18 

months after the date of the accident. 

8. HRN will consult with the family of each passenger about construction by HRN of any monument 

to the passengers, including any inscription on the monument. 

9. In carrying out this Plan, HRN will treat the families of non-revenue passengers (and any other 

victim of the accident) the same as the families of revenue passengers. 

10. HRN will work with any organization designated under 49 U.S.C. Section 1136(a)(2) on an ongoing 

basis to ensure that families of passengers receive an appropriate level of services and assistance 

following an accident. 

11. HRN will provide reasonable compensation to any organization designated under 49 U.S.C. 

Section 1136(a)(2) for services and assistance provided by the organization in response to an aircraft

accident within the United States involving an aircraft under the control of HRN. 
12. HRN will assist the family of any passenger in travelling to the location of the accident and will

provide for the physical care of the family while the family is staying at such location. 

13. HRN will commit sufficient resources to carry out this Family Assistance Plan. 

14. HRN will provide adequate training to its employees and agents to meet the needs of survivors 

and family members following an accident. 

15. In the event that HRN volunteers assistance to United States citizens within the United States 

with respect to an aircraft accident outside the United States involving major loss of life, HRN will 

consult with the NTSB and the Department of State on the provision of the assistance. 

16. In the event that HRN is involved in an accident within the United States that results in significant 

damage to a man-made structure or other property on the ground, HRN will promptly provide notice, 

in writing, to the extent practicable, directly to the owner of the structure or other property about 

liability for any property damage and means for obtaining compensation. The written notice will 

advise the owner 

(a) to contact the insurer of the property as the authoritative source 

for information about coverage and compensation, 

(b) not to rely on unofficial information offered by HRN representatives about compensation by HRN 

for accidentsite property damage, and 

(c) to obtain photographic or other detailed evidence of property damage as soon as possible after 

the accident, consistent with restrictions on access to the accident site. 

17. If the NTSB conducts a public hearing or comparable proceeding at a location greater than 80 

miles from the site of an accident involving a flight operated by HRN, HRN will ensure that the 

proceedings are made available simultaneously by electronic means at a location open to the public 

at both the origin city and destination city of the flight if that city is located in the United States.