Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd

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Sichuan Airlines CO., LTD. 

Family Support Plan 

I. Introduction 

Sichuan Airlines submits the following document in accordance with the Foreign 

Air Carrier Family Support Act of 1997 (49 U.S.C. Section 41313). 

The purpose of Sichuan Airlines' Family Assistance Plan is to ensure that in the 

event of an accident within the United States involving a flight operated by Sichuan 

Airlines with a significant loss of life, the carrier is prepared to: 

A. Act in the best interests of survivors, survivor families and victim families.

B. Treat survivors, survivor families and victim families with dignity.

C. Respect the cultural and religious backgrounds of survivors, survivor families and 

victim families. 

This plan is part of a larger effort, which includes the Department of Transportation 

(DOT) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other governmental 

entities, to assist survivors, survivor families and victim families in the event of an 

aviation accident. 

II. Toll-free telephone number 

A. In the event of an aircraft accident, Sichuan Airlines will establish a reliable, tollfree telephone number and provide personnel to take calls to such number from 

the families of all passengers aboard the aircraft. 

B. Sichuan Airlines will publicize the toll-free number by providing it to the DOT, 

the NTSB, the organization designated for the accident by the NTSB under 

Section 1136(a)(2) of the Act (if any), and the local, national and international 

news media. 

C. Sichuan Airlines will provide the toll-free number to the foregoing as soon as 

practicable after confirming that one of its aircraft was involved in an accident and 

that the accident resulted in a major loss of life. 

III. Notification of families 

A. Sichuan Airlines will notify the immediate families of passengers aboard its 

aircraft involved in an accident prior to providing any public notice of the names 

of the passengers.

B. Sichuan Airlines will provide such notification by using the services of the 

organization designated for the accident under Section 1136(a)(2) of the Act (if 

any). 
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C. Otherwise, Sichuan Airlines will notify the immediate families through suitably 

trained personnel. 

D. Sichuan Airlines will provide adequate training to its staff and agents to meet the 

needs of survivors, survivor families and victim families. 

E. Sichuan Airlines will notify the immediate family of any passenger aboard an 

aircraft involved in an accident as soon as the identity of that passenger has been 

verified, whether or not the names of all the passengers aboard the aircraft have 

been verified. 

F. Families will be updated periodically on the accident as additional information 

becomes available. 

G. Sichuan Airlines’ treatment of the families of nonrevenue passengers will be the 

same as its treatment of the families of revenue passengers. 

IV. Notification of family support services 

Sichuan Airlines will provide, immediately upon request, and update a list (based on 

the best available information at the time of the request) of the names of the 

passengers aboard the aircraft (whether or not such names have been verified), to the 

director of family support services designated for the accident under Section 

1136(a)(1) and the organization designated for the accident under Section 1136(a)(2) 

(if any). 

V. Consultation 

Sichuan Airlines will consult the immediate family of each passenger about the 

disposition of all remains and personal effects of the passenger that are within 

Sichuan Airlines’ control. 

VI. Return of possessions 

A. If requested by the family, any possession (regardless of its condition) of the 

passenger that is within the control of Sichuan Airlines will be returned to the 

family unless it is required for accident investigation or criminal investigation. 

B. Any unclaimed possession of a passenger that is within Sichuan Airlines’ control 

will be retained by Sichuan Airlines for not less than 18 months after the date of 

the accident. 

VII. Other assurances 

A. The local medical examiner or coroner is responsible for the positive 

identification of fatalities. If a passenger has died, the medical examiner or 

coroner will provide official notification of death to the passenger's immediate 

family. The medical examiner or coroner is responsible for the disposition of both 
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identifiable and unidentified human remains. 

B. For injured passengers, the hospital to which they are admitted is responsible for 

status updates. However, to the extent Sichuan Airlines has information on the 

condition of such passengers, it will share such information with their immediate 

families. 

VIII. Monument 

A. Sichuan Airlines will consult the immediate family of each passenger about any 

monument construction in the United States for the passengers aboard a Sichuan 

Airlines aircraft involved in an accident, including any inscription. 

B. Sichuan Airlines will honor a request from a passenger's immediate family to 

remove any reference to that passenger's name from the monument.

IX. Cooperation with other organization(s) 

Sichuan Airlines will cooperate with any organization designated for the accident by 

the NTSB under Section 1 136(a)(2) of the Act on an ongoing basis to ensure that 

immediate family members of passengers receive an appropriate level of services and 

assistance following an accident. 

X. Compensation to service organization(s) 

A. Sichuan Airlines will provide reasonable compensation to the organization 

designated for the accident by the NTSB under Section 1136(a)(2) of the Act for 

services and assistance provided by the organization on Sichuan Airlines’ behalf. 

B. Sichuan Airlines will expect the designated organization to provide a detailed 

accounting of any services and assistance for which it requests compensation. 

XI. Travel and care expenses 

A. Sichuan Airlines will assist the immediate families of passengers aboard a 

Sichuan Airlines aircraft involved in an accident in traveling to the location of the 

accident and provide for physical care while they are staying at such location. 

B. The NTSB has accident-site jurisdiction. Within security limitations established 

by the NTSB, Sichuan Airlines will assist family requests to visit the accident 

scene. Access to the site may be limited by terrain, biohazard and other hazardous 

material concerns, security measures, or other unforeseen conditions. 

XII. Resources for plan 

Sichuan Airlines will commit sufficient resources to carry out the Family Support 

Plan. 
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XIII. Consultation on response not covered by plan 

In the event that Sichuan Airlines volunteers assistance to United States citizens 

within the United States with respect to an aircraft accident outside the United States 

involving a major loss of life, Sichuan Airlines will consult with the NTSB and the 

Department of State on the provision of the assistance. 

XIV. Notice concerning liability for manmade structures 

In the case of an accident that results in significant damage to a manmade structure or 

other property on the ground that is not government owned, Sichuan Airlines 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. 

At a minimum, the written notice shall advise the owner: 

A. To contact the insurer of the property as the authoritative source for information 

about coverage and compensation. 

B. To not rely on unofficial information offered by Sichuan Airlines’ 

representative(s) about compensation by Sichuan Airlines for accident-site 

property damage. 

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. 

XV. Simultaneous electronic transmission of NTSB hearing 

In the case of an accident in which the NTSB conducts a public hearing or 

comparable proceeding at a location greater than 80 miles from the accident site, 

Sichuan Airlines will ensure that the proceeding is made available simultaneously by 

electronic means at a location open to the public at both the origin city and destination 

city of Sichuan Airlines’ flight if that city is located in the United States.