December 3, 2014 

Dockets- Dockets OST 96-1960 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

400 Seventh Street, S.W., Room PL 401 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

SUBJECT: FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

EASTERN AIR LINES 

,~~~STERN - ·,__,) ~ ~::.-.J ~ 1 r P-.,n 

Please find attached our plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved 

in aircraft accidents. This submission also incorporates the U.S. Department of 

Transportation notice published January 20, 2004 regarding the requirements of 

the "Vision 100- Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act" wherein certain 

additional assurances are required to be included in Air Carrier Plans. 

Additionally, please be advised that our operations staff may be reached 24 hours 

at: safety@easternairlines.aero or (305) 869-4256 or (305) 869-4257 Cell (734) 260-2181 

If you have any questions you may contact the undersigned at: Eastern Air Lines 

Group, Inc. P.O. Box 526865 Miami, Florida 33152 

,,. '" .~ - ,..,, =-· ....... -~· ,...... • .. - . 

1 Eastern Airlines Family Assistance Plan 

Eastern Aw Lines Group, Inc._ Miami International Airport. 4200 NW 36'' Street. Bldg. SA Miami. Flor-ida 33166 

PO Box 526865 Miami. Florida 33152 Tel: 305.869.4249 easternairlines.aero 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

Introduction 

The EASTERN AIR LINES Family Assistance Program has been developed to comply with 

Public Law No. 104-264, Title VII, Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 ( 49 U.S. C. 

1136 and 41113) and Public Law No. 108-176, December 12, 2003- Vision 100-Century of 

Aviation Reauthorization Act, Section 809, Availability of Aircraft Accident Site 

Information, Paragraph (a) Domestic Air Transportation 

This program is part of a larger effort, which includes the U.S. National Transportation 

Safety Board and other U.S. governmental entities, to assist survivors, survivor families and 

victim families in the event of an aviation disaster within the United States or US Territories. 

Purpose 

The purpose of the EASTERN AIR LINES Family Assistance Program is as follows: 

• Act in the best interests of survivors, survivor families and/or victim families. 

Respond to survivors, survivor families and victim families with sensitivity, dignity and 

respect. 

• Respect and be sensitive to the cultural and religious backgrounds of survivors, survivor 

families and victim families. 

Meet the needs of survivors, survivor families and victim families for such issues as: 

~ timely information regarding the status of the passenger, 

~ transportation to and from the location of the accident, 

~ lodging and meals while at the accident location, 

~ timely information regarding survivor progress, 

~ immediate clothing and personal hygiene necessities, 

~ medical needs, 

~ mental health counseling, 

~ assistance with transportation of remains, 

~ identification and return of personal effects, and 

~ pastoral support and memorial services. 

EASTERN AIR LINES will also provide similar services to immediate family members 

who do not travel to the accident location. 

Provide the same level of assistance listed above for crew members and their families as 

well as others traveling on a non-revenue basis. 

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This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

• Provide training to the employees and agents of the carrier to meet the needs of 

survivors and family members following an accident. 

• Provide mental and emotional support to EASTERN AIR LINES employees, especially 

those asked to work with survivors, survivor families and victim families. 

Upon evaluation, EASTERN AIR LINES identified limited Family Assistance personnel 

resources available to respond to a crisis. Therefore, EASTERN AIR LINES has contracted 

with the following agencies to provide additional response staff and consultation on Family 

Assistance. 

FEI Behavioral Health (FEI) 

FEI has been in operation since 1979 and has a customer base of over 140 companies, 

including Regional, Domestic and Foreign Air Carriers. 

FEI will conform to the Federal Family Assistance Plan for Aviation Disasters as detailed by 

the NTSB. On behalf of EASTERN AIR LINES, FEI will: 

• Provide Family Assistance Training to EASTERN AIR LINES employees and agents to 

enhance awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of survivors and family members 

following an accident. 

In the event of an accident, FEI will: 

• Provide a toll free, publicized number within 60 minutes of notification. 

• Activate an inbound call center to screen initial inquiries. 

• Provide a second (outbound) call center staffed by behavioral health professionals. 

• The outbound call center, referred to as the Family Assistance Center, will respond to 

family member's inquiries, notify the next of kin, arrange travel and support nontravelling families. 

• Provide information to families, as it becomes known. 

• Offer continuous updates on notification process. 

• Provide family notification before public release. 

• Maintain daily contact with non-traveling families. 

• Gather and compile data for the airline. 

• Make travel arrangements for families, as requested by EASTERN AIR LINES. 

• Deploy a crisis management team to the on-site Family Assistance Center. 

• As requested, assist in establishment of the Joint Family Support Operations Center. 

Page2 ©FEI Behavioral Health, 2014 

This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

• Provide on site support and consultation to EASTERN AIR LINES. 

• Coordinate with NTSB, American Red Cross, Local Authorities, and Airline. 

• Work and liaise closely with other agencies working on behalf of the airline. 

• Provide escort, support, information and assistance to survivors, victims and their 

families on behalf of the airline. 

• As requested, assist in establishing facilities and equipment as may be required to 

support the needs for a Simultaneous Electronic Transmission of NTSB Public Hearing 

at required locations. 

EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 

In coordination with contracted agencies, EASTERN AIR LINES has developed detailed 

policies and procedures for affected station(s) emergency operations, headquarter 

emergency operations, as well as accident site emergency operations. In the event of an 

accident, the carrier will: 

[Note: Principle responsibility is always the Carrier's. For clarification, the organization(s) 

responsible for carrying out or facilitating the task is indicated at the end of each section in 

parenthesis.] 

(1) Notify the NTSB communications center at (202) 314-6290 immediately upon 

knowledge of a crash. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

Page3 

a) Provide place of incident (or general vicinity of incident), number of passengers 

and crew based on preliminary departure information and number of injured 

and fatalities (if known). (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

b) Provide flight number, origination, connection points and final destination (if 

known), and whether the flight was domestic or international. (EASTERN AIR 

LINES) 

c) Provide name and telephone number of the person who is in overall charge of 

the incident site. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

d) Provide name, telephone number and location of the hotel that has been 

designated as the JFSOC. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

e) Provide name and telephone number of the person responsible for the passenger 

manifest. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

©FEI Behavioral Health, 2014 

This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

f) Provide name and telephone number of the person responsible for family 

notification. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(2) Provide the public a reliable publicized toll free number with sufficient telephone 

capacity. (FEI) 

a) When disseminating the toll-free number, EASTERN AIR LINES will ask the 

media to inform the public that only individuals who have a reason to believe a 

family member or friend is a passenger on the flight should use the number. 

(EASTERN AIR LINES) 

b) The media notice will emphasize that initial calls to the airline are to provide a 

point of contact with the airline, provide basic flight information to the caller, 

and gather information so the airline may obtain points of contact for each 

passenger. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

c) The media will be asked to reemphasize the carrier involved, the flight number, 

airport of origination, connection and final destination. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

d) The "message" heard by callers on hold will urge anyone who does not have 

reason to believe that a family member or friend is a passenger or is unable to 

provide relevant information on the passenger to please clear the line. The 

"message" will also restate the carrier involved, the flight number, airport of 

origination, connection and final destination. (FEI) 

(3) Provide timely notification to family members of passengers which will consist of 

continuous updates based upon manifest reconciliation with boarding documents 

(ticket lifts, ticket readers, final gate check-in name list). EASTERN AIR LINES will 

provide passenger information to family members as it becomes known and will not 

wait until all names on the check-in manifest are confirmed before notifying 

individual family members. Family members will be notified if passenger's name 

appears on a preliminary name list and informed that confirmation involves 

reconciling the manifest with the boarding documents collected at the gate. Once 

contact is established with family members, it is maintained, regardless of whether 

additional information becomes available. Personnel are trained in crisis response 

and techniques to notify a person that a family member may have been involved in a 

disaster. (FE I) 

(4) Provide the NTSB, upon request, the most current reconciled copy of 

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This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

the passenger manifest. Each copy will be numbered or annotated so it can 

be distinguished from previous copies. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(5) Secure facilities at departure, arrival, and connecting airports where family members 

may be initially gathering. These facilities will protect them from media and 

solicitors, as well as provide a place to receive continuous updates on the 

reconciliation of the passenger manifest and other information on the crash as it 

becomes available. If at a secured facility, family members will be notified personally 

and privately by personnel trained in crisis response and death notification that their 

loved one is on the plane. (EASTERN AIR LINES and FEI) 

(6) Provide logistical support to family members requesting travel to the incident site 

(or to a hospital location). This includes, but is not limited to, transportation, 

lodging, meals, security, communications, and incidentals. EASTERN AIR LINES 

will consider the following during selection of a facility: quality of rooms, size of 

facilities, privacy for family members, relative location to medical examiner's office, 

temporary morgue, airport operations, crash site, NTSB investigation headquarters, 

and medical treatment facilities. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(7) Inform family members (or family friends/clergy who are with the family) at an 

appropriate time, as early as possible after being notified, that it is critical they 

contact their family dentist to obtain dental records and dental x-rays of their loved 

one. Families will be asked to have the records and x-rays sent via overnight delivery 

to the address of the hotel where the JFSOC is located. Families will be told to send 

the package to the attention of the Deputy Director, FA, NTSB. Families will be 

advised that if they are coming to the site within the next 48 hours, they may arrange 

to hand carry these documents. (FEI) 

(8) Make provisions for a JFSOC to include space, communication and logistical support 

to assist local and Federal staff. (EASTERN AIR LINES OR FEI) 

(9) Make provisions for private areas within the hotel for DMORT and medical 

examiner personnel to collect ante mortem information from families at the site. 

EASTERN AIR LINES will also provide quiet space and communications resources 

for DMORT and medical examiner personnel to telephonically collect ante mortem 

information from families who decide to stay away from the site. EASTERN AIR 

LINES will reserve 6 to 15 rooms for crisis counseling/DMORT use. (EASTERN AIR 

LINES OR FEI) 

Page 5 ©FEI Behavioral Health, 2014 

This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

(10) Provide necessary information on foreign passengers to DOS representatives to 

facilitate interaction with appropriate foreign government embassies. (EASTERN 

AIR LINES) 

(11) Provide notification to family members prior to releasing passenger names to the 

public. Family members will be given appropriate time to notify other family 

members and friends prior to public release of the victim's name. While it may be 

necessary for some families to have more than one contact point with the airline, 

families will be asked to designate one primary contact point for purposes of 

information sharing among the family. The carrier will not release the victim's name 

without family consent. (FEI) 

(12) Inquire at the time of notification or soon after if family members desire, ARC crisis 

assistance or an ARC person to talk to. If family is undecided or say no, the will be 

asked to inform their airline representative if they reconsider. All requests for 

assistance will be passed to an ARC representative who will designate an ARC staff 

member in the family member's local area and request they contact the family. (FEI) 

(13) Provide the media with continuous updates on the progress of the notification 

process, to include: providing the number of victims' families notified as of a certain 

time and the number remaining to be notified. EASTERN AIR LINES will continue 

this process until all victims' families have been notified. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(14) Assist family members as they travel to and from the site by informing flight crews 

and airport personnel that family members are on particular flights. At departure, 

connecting, and arrival airports, family members will have airline personnel meet 

and assist them while on airport grounds. If necessary, EASTERN AIR LINES will 

seek assistance from other carriers who may have a larger presence at the airport. 

EASTERN AIR LINES will assist family members as they depart the accident site 

and provide a contact person who will continue to be the airline interface with the 

family after the family returns to their residence. (EASTERN AIR LINES OR FEI) 

(15) Provide a contact person to meet family members as they arrive and accompany 

them at the incident site. A representative will be assigned responsibility for 

assisting the family while at the site and will continue to be the airline interface with 

the family until the family returns to their residence. Upon return, a single contact 

person for all family members may be designated. (FEI) 

(16) Provide a contact person from the airline to maintain daily contact with family 

members who do not travel to the incident site. (FEI) 

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This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

(17) Establish a badging system to identify family members. (EASTERN AIR LINES 

ORFEI) 

(18) Establish a joint liaison with ARC at each supporting medical treatment facility to 

track the status of injured victims and to provide assistance to their families. (FEI) 

(19) Develop procedures for the handling of personal effects not being held as evidence 

for purposes of a criminal or accident investigation. Provisions will be made for 

unclaimed possessions to be retained for at least 18 months from the date of the 

crash as required by law. (VENDOR UNDER CONTRACT) 

(20) Designate an individual who will be the airline's representative to the Deputy 

Director ofF A. This individual will travel to various locations, such as accident site, 

morgue, JFSOC, and family assistance center with the Deputy Director of FA. The 

designated individual will have the authority or ready access to those who have 

sufficient authority to make decisions on behalf of the airline. (EASTERN AIR 

LINES) 

(21) Consult with family members about any airline-sponsored monument, including 

any inscriptions. (EASTERN AIR LINES OR FEI) 

(22) Provide reasonable reimbursement to the ARC for services to the family, airline, and 

supporting personnel. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(23) If the crash is declared a crime, coordinate with DOJ to arrange meetings with family 

members to explain their rights under the victims of crime legislation. (FEI) 

(24) Provide the same support and treatment of families of non-revenue passengers (and 

any other person aboard the aircraft) as for revenue passengers. (EASTERN AIR 

LINES) 

(25) Participate in daily coordination meetings to review daily activities, resolve problem 

areas, and to synchronize future family support operations and activities. 

(EASTERN AIR LINES and FEI) 

(26) Provide training to EASTERN AIR LINES employees and agents to increase 

awareness of the needs of survivors and family members following an accident. (FEI 

or EASTERN AIR LINES) 

Page 7 ©FEI Behavioral Health, 2014 

This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited. 
EASTERN AIR LINES FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 

(27) When providing assistance to US Citizens within the United States with respect to an 

aircraft accident outside the Unites States involving major loss of life, EASTERN AIR 

LINES will consult with the NTSB and DOS on provision of assistance. (EASTERN 

AIR LINES) 

(28) In the event of an accident that involves significant ground damage to nongovernmental property, EASTERN AIR LINES will notify the owner of the property 

about liability for any property damage and the means for obtaining compensation. 

This notification will include advising the property owner: (1) to contact the 

property's insurer for information about coverage and compensation; (2) to not rely 

on unofficial information from the air carrier's representative about compensation; 

and (3) to obtain photographic or other detailed evidence about property damage as 

soon as practicable. (EASTERN AIR LINES) 

(29) In the event that the NTSB conducts a public accident hearing at a location that is 

more than 80 miles from the accident site, EASTERN AIR LINES will ensure that the 

hearing will be available electronically live at the origin city and destination city of 

the accident aircraft's flight, if that city is in the United States. (EASTERN AIR 

LINES and FEI) 

Page 8 ©FEI Behavioral Health, 2014 

This document is provided as a tool for FEI Customers. Release to or use by parties 

other than the Customer for which it was intended is prohibited.