The Laughing Wolf

Air Accidents And Notifications

I really wish I was not having to write this one, but want to do it for several reasons, not the least of which is that there is a lack of information and some bad information out there. As a pilot and as a reporter, I know a bit about each.

Something every blogger who is serious about news, and any and all reporters who have any interest in living up to the name, should go find a copy of Air Accidents and the News Media. It is out of print, and was done by the long gone Aviation/Space Writers Association. This booklet can still be found, however, and I hope someone will put a good PDF or such of it up on the Web, as it provides extremely important information for those at the scene and covering what comes later.

The one thing every investigator fears is untrained help at the scene of any air crash. People rush in, throw things around, and even move bodies -- all of which is glorified by Hollywood and in real life has a tendency not only to get people killed but to also make figuring out what happened far more difficult. If you are ever at the scene of any aircraft accident, from a hang glider to a jumbo jet, obey the following rules:

1. Don't touch anything
2. If someone is obviously dead, leave them be
3. You can render first aid to the injured, but unless you are a paramedic or there is imminent danger of them dying by staying where they are, then don't move them.
4. Have everyone walk in and out along the same path if possible; a crash needs to be treated as if it were a crime scene
5. If there are no survivors, seal the area and no one should go in or out until the crash investigation team gets there (1-48 hours)
6. If there are fires, put out with the minimum amount of water, chemicals, etc.

I have had some training on this, most of which involved how to flag things and what not to do. There is very little that should be done, beyond providing immediate first aid and triage to survivors. The investigation then begins when an air accident investigation team (from the NTSB if a civilian crash) comes in and does the initial documentation and investigation. Once the initial is complete, then bodies are removed and the aircraft remains are taken away for further investigation. Unless something is very obvious, there will be no speculation on what caused the accident. Preliminary findings may take months, and a final determination will not be released for months or even a year or more.

Investigating any air accident is a painstaking process, which may involve reconstruction of the craft, attempts to duplicate the flight, computer modelling, microscopic and chemical analysis, and more. Sometimes, no matter how much investigation is done, there will be few or no answers, at least not until something similar happens and people/craft survive and tell the tale. Sometimes there are never any answers.

In terms of people and notifications, there are protocols in place, particularly with the military. One of the largest problems faced is that with any flight, the manifest can change right up until takeoff. New passengers are boarded to fill empty seats; a passenger may feel ill and leave; a supernumerary may fit in on the crew; or, passengers/troops may get moved around between craft for any number of reasons. While you think you know who is on a particular bird, you really don't and that is a quandry. Both civilian and military operations have made incorrect notifications because they did not wait for positive identification, and so protocols are supposed to be in place to help prevent that.

Complicating this is the fact that the bodies to be ID'd may not be immediately available. Until the initial documentation and investigation is complete, the bodies will stay where they are. Autopsies and positive identification must wait for that process. Once recovered, the bodies must then be positively identified: this means finding ID on the body, or using dental, DNA, or other means to identify. All of this takes time, and can't be rushed.

Roll calls and other checks can be used to try to identify the living, and help narrow the uncertainty of who was on the bird, but nothing can or should take the place of positive ID of the bodies.

Civilian notification varies, and may be done by law enforcement or other means.

Military notifications are done by officers in dress uniform, teams of two are standard. I am most familiar with the Army version, having known someone who had that duty. It is teams of two as you don't know how the family is going to take it, and it also gives them flexibility in meeting immediate needs. The way the Army used to do it was that the officer who makes the official notification does so, then leaves as soon as possible, and never has contact with the family again. The Army knows from experience that this person is often blamed by the family, and their leaving eliminates a problem and provides a safe target for negative emotions. A second team will then come in and work to help the family.

The delays in making civilian or military notifications have nothing to do with incompetence, but are simply a result of the mechanics of the investigation and the desire to ensure that no mistakes are made.

Too many families will see the pair arrive in the next few days. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

LW