GUIDANCE ON ASSISTANCE TO AIRCRAFT

ACCIDENT VICTIMS & THEIR FAMILIES

(ICAO – Circular 285-AN/166)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 0. INTRODUCTION 0-13

CHAPTER 1. TERMINOLOGY 1-13

CHAPTER 2. RECIPIENTS OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE 2-13

CHAPTER 3. TYPES OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE 3-13

CHAPTER 4. WHEN FAMILY ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE PROVIDED 3-13

CHAPTER 5. FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS 5-13

CHAPTER 6. EXTENT OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE 6-13

CHAPTER 7. PREPARATION OF A FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN 6-13

CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSION 25-25

APPENDICES

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 1/26

 INTRODUCTION

1. An aircraft accident is an unexpected and catastrophic event. Despite improvement in

the aviation safety record, the expected increase in air traffic is likely to result in an increas-
ing number of accident victims in the foreseeable future. Distress is an inevitable conse-
quence of any accident which people are killed or injured. In recent years, concern for per-
sons who have suffered distress and loss as the result of aircraft accident has led to in-
creased efforts within the aviation industry to establish means by which the languish can be
mitigated.

2. During its 32nd Session in October 1998, the international civil aviation organization
(ICAO) Assembly considered the subject of assistance to aircraft accident victims and their
families. Following a discussion, the adopted resolution A32-7 which stated that.

‘ The state of occurrence should address the most critical needs of persons affected by
a civil aviation accident.

‘ ICAO`s policy should be to ensure that the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of
aircraft accident victims and their families are considered and accommodated by
ICAO and its contracting states.

‘ It is essential that ICAO and its contracting states recognize the importance of timely
notification of family members of victims involved in aircraft accident, the prompt re-
covery and accurate identification of the fatalities, the return of the victims personal
effects and the dissemination of pertinent information to family members.

‘ Governments of nationals, who are victims of aircraft accidents, have the role of noti-
fying and assisting the families of the victims.

‘ It is essential that support be provided to family members of aircraft accident victims,

wherever the accidents may occur, and any lessons learnt from support providers. in-
cluding effective procedures and policies are promptly disseminated to ICAO and
contracting states in order to improve states family support operation.

‘ Harmonization of the regulations for dealing with the needs of aircraft accident victims
and their families is a humanitarian duty and an optional function of the ICAO council
contemplated in article55 © of the Chicago Convention.

‘ States should provide a homogeneous solution for treatment of aircraft accident vic-
tims and their families.

‘ The aircraft operator involved in an aircraft accident is often best suited to assist fami-
lies immediately following an accident.

‘ Family members of aircraft accident victims, irrespective of here the accident occurs
or the nationality of the victims, have certain fundamental human needs and emotions
and public attention will continue to focus on the human-interest of aircrafts accidents
as well as states technical investigation of these events.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 2/26

IN CONSEQUENCE, THE ASSEMBLY :

‘ Called on contracting states to reaffirm their commitment to support civil aviation ac-
cidents victims and their families.

‘ Urged contracting states, in cooperation with ICAO and other states, to promptly re-
view, develop and implement regulation and programmes to provide that support.

‘ Urged states that have regulations and programmes for dealing with the affairs of air-
craft accidents victims and their families to make them available to ICAO for possible
assistance to other states, and

‘ Urged the ICAO council to develop material citing the need for the establishment of
regulation and programmes by contracting states and their aircraft operators to sup-
port aircraft accident victims and their families.

3. Resolution no.2 of the international conference on air law, which was held in Montréal
from 10 to 28 may 1999, recognize the tragic consequences that flow from aircraft
accidents. The conference was mindful of the flight of aircraft accident victims and
their families and took into account their immediate needs. In so doing, the confer-
ence urged air carries to make advance payment, without delay, based on the imme-
diate economic needs of aircraft accidents victims and their families. The conference
also encouraged states that are parties to the convention for the unification of certain
rules for international carriage by air, adopted on 28 may 1999, at Montréal, to take
appropriate measures under national law to promote such action by carriers.

4. Accordingly, the objective of this circular is to provide guidance on the types of family
assistance that may be provided to aircraft accident victims and their families and the
avenues available for providing that assistance. It aims to better prepare all parties
involved, to facilitate the coordination between them and to describe the scope of
their involvement. This circular also furnishes guidelines for the establishment of ap-
propriate legislation, regulations and programmes by contracting states and their air-
craft operators in order to support aircraft accident victims and their families.

5. Irrespective of the scale of and accident, the victims and their families should receive
appropriate assistance. Because of variations in the size and circumstances of air-
craft accidents, the extent of the resources required to provide family assistance will
wary considerable. Therefore, planning for such events is necessary to ensure that in
the event of a large aircraft accident the assistance provided to the victims and their
families does not exhaust the available resources.

6 This circular discusses:

‘ The terminology used in the circular

‘ The persons to whom the assistance should be given
‘ The types of family assistance
‘ When assistance should be given
‘ Family assistance provides
‘ Factors which may limit the assistance provided
‘ Planning for the provision of assistance to the victims and their families, and
‘ the formulation of legislation and regulations for the provision of assistance to the vic-
tims and their families.
ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 3/26
 This circular should enable states to prepare a plan for the provision of family assistance
in the event of an aircraft accident. Such a plan should be readily adaptable to other dis-
asters I which there are a large number of casualties.

7. The appendices provide extracts from one states legislation on the subject, examples
of a family assistance plan and a victim identification plan, as well as one airlines guid-
ance materials on laws, customs and culture at international destinations. The material
presented in appendices 1 and 2 is reproduced with the authorization of the national
transportation safety board (NTSB) of the United States. The materials in appendix 3 is
reproduced from the New Zealand polices manual of best practice by kind permission of
the New Zealand police.
T

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 4/26

 Table of contents

Chapter 1. Terminology 1
Aircraft accident 1
Aircraft accident investigation authority 1
Coordinator 1
Family 2
Family assistance 2
Provider 2
State of occurrence 3
Victim 3

Chapter 2 . Receiptiensof family assistance 4

Chapter 3 . Types of family assistance 5

Confirmation of the involvement of a family member
in an aircraft accident 5
Counseling 5
Privacy 6
Immediate financial assistance 6
Immigration and customs formalities 6
Visits to the accident site 6
Identification custody and return of human remains 6
Protection and return of personal effects 7
Provision of information 7
Liaison with families 7
Memorials 8
Legal advice 8
Cockpit voice recorder extracts 8
Family associations 8

Chapter 4 . When family assistance should be provided 9

Chapter 5. Family assistance providers 10

State of occurrence 10
Coordinating agency 10
The aircraft operator 11
The aircraft accident investigation authority 12
Authority responsible for victim identification 12
The civil aviation authority 12
The police 12
Diplomatic and consular staff 13
Immigration and costumes authorities 13
Aid agencies 13
Authorized commercial companies 13
Family associations 14

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 5/26

Chapter 6. Extent of family assistance 15
Time span 15
The concept of family 15
Resources 15

Chapter 7. Preparation of a family assistance plan 17

Step one-Determine the size of accidents for which the plans will apply17
Step two-Determine the types of assistance to be provided 18
Step three-Determine the agencies that will provide the assistance 19
Step four-Draft the plan 22
Step five-Review the plan 22
Step six-Enact the legislation to implement the plan 23
Step seven-Exercise the plan periodically 23

Chapter 8. Conclusion 25

Appendices:

Appendix 1. Extract from the United States legislation on the provision of fam-
ily assistance. 27

Appendix 2. Extract from the United States family assistance plan for aviation
disasters. 38

Appendix 3. Extract on disaster victim identification from the New Zealand po-
lices manual of best practice. 75

Appendix 4. Example o one airlines guidance material on laws, customs and

culture at international destination. 95

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 6/26

 Chapter 1
Terminology
1.1 The following terminology is discussed to ensure that readers understand its
intended meaning in the context of this circular: aircraft accident, aircraft acci-
dent investigation authority, coordinator, family, family assisters, provider, the
state of occurrence, and victims.

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

1.2 The definition of an accident is provided in Annex 13 to the convention on in-

ternational civil aviation—Aircraft Accident and accident investigation. The
relevant part of the definition states that an accident is.

“An occurrence associated whit the operation of an aircraft which takes place
between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until
such time as all persons have disembarked, in which:

a) a person is fatally or seriously injured as a result of:

- being in the aircraft, or
- direct contact with any part of the aircraft, Inc parts which
have become detached from the aircraft, or…..

AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
INVSTIGATION AUTHORITY
1.3 The aircraft accident investigation authority is a government agency, body or
commission that has the primary responsibility for the investigation of an acci-
dent.

COORDINATOR
1.4 A coordinator is the person or organization required to ensure that the neces-
sary resources and agencies are brought into the proper relationship in order
to provide the optimum assistance to the victims and their families.

1.5 The appointment of a coordinator requires careful consideration to ensure that

the full potential of the resources will be realized as promptly and economically
as practicable. The coordinator must ensure that the various organizations are
not diverted from their predetermined roles by ad hoc arrangement and do not
come into conflict when different organizations are required to provide similar
forms of assistance.

FAMILY
1.6.1 A definition of the extent of the family is an important prerequisite of planning
for the provision of family assistance since the size of the family has a direct ef-
fect on the logistics involved.

1.7 Determining who constitutes family will involve cultural considerations as well
as social relationship and may well be different to what is generally covered by
such terms as next of kin. A definition must be agreed upon that takes due the
cultures involved.

1.8 A person’s entitlement to the various types of family assistance may depend
on the degree of flexibility shown in determining who constitutes family. For
example:

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 7/26

 • responses to inquiries about persons involved in an accident will be to a
large cross-section of callers, many of whom will have no direct connection
with this persons;
• the initial notification to the families of passengers may inc. family members
of passengers who survive;
• visits to the accident site and attendance at memorial services may involve
persons with a special relationship to those who lost there lives as a result
of the accident; and
• Immediate financial assistance will be specifically directed to family mem-
bers who are depended of a victim.

1.9 to avoid repetition, the words family and families will be used hereafter when refer-
ring to the family members of aircraft accident victims.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE

1.10 Family assistance is the help provided to the families and to the survivors of an
aircraft accident. The various types of family assistance that my be relevant in
the aftermath of an aircraft accident are discussed in chapter 3.

1.11 The family assistance envisaged in this circular applies to all aircraft accident
victims and families regardless of the size and circumstances of the accident.

PROVIDER

1.12 Providers of assistance can be government agencies, aircraft operators, private

contractors and aid agencies, such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.
Each agency must have a role that has been predetermined. There may be more
than one provider for each type of family assistance.

1.13 The state of occurrence is defined in Annex 13 as “ The state in the territory of
which an accident or incident occurs”

1.14 Annex 13 contains two standards relating to the investigation of en accident

when the location of the accident site is not established as being in the territory
of any state. These standards, which are p art of chapter 5 of the Annex, read
as follows:

“STATE OF REGISTRY”

5.3 When the location of the accident or the serious incident cannot defi-
nitely be established as being in the territory of any state, the state of
registry shall institute and conduct any necessary investigation of the
accident or serious incident. However, it may delegate the whole or any
part of the investigation to another state by mutual arrangement and
consent.

5.3.1 States nearest the scene of an accident in international waters shall

provide such assistance as they are able and shall, likewise, respond to
requests by the state of registry.”

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 8/26

1.15 When n accident occurs outside the territory of any state, the state of registry
of the aircraft may call upon another state to assist with the provision of family
assistance.

VICTIM

1.16 For the purpose of this circular (but not its appendices which were produced
independently of ICAO), a victim is an occupant of the aircraft, or any person
Outside the aircraft, who is unintentionally directly involved in the aircraft acci-
dent. Victims may include the crew, revenue passengers, non-revenue passen-
gers and third parties. A survivor is a victim who is not fatally injured as a re-
sult of the accident.

CHAPTER 2
RECIPIENTS OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE

2.1 The aim of family assistance is to address the concerns and the needs of the vic-
tims and their families, to the extent possible. The provision of family requires the
commitments of significant resources.

2.2 While initial contacts between family members and the staff of the aircraft op-
erator are often made in person at the airport, subsequent telephone inquiries
will likely be made by;

* family, friends, colleagues, etc. who know the passengers itinerary;

* Same parties who are not certain of a prospective passengers travel

plans; and

*those persons having no personal connection whit the passenger, such

as journalist.

The interest that the caller has in the passenger should therefore be discreetly
ascertained by the telephone operator who should thereafter direct the inquiry
to the relevant family assistance provider.

2.3 Once the identity of the victims has been established, further family assistance
should be limited to the survivors and the close family members of the victims
who, in the opinion of the family assistance providers, have a bona fide enti-
tlement to assistance. Determining who is entitled to assistance is important in
order to ensure that the family members and the survivors can be treated equi-
table.

2.4 The nature of the immediate assistance provided will vary. For example, fami-
lies of those who have been killed will require assistance with the transfer of
the remains and with funeral arrangements, with due respect to cultural sensi-
tivities. On the other hand, injured survivors will expect assistance, particularly
with medical expenses and transfer back to their homes.

2.5 Further requests for assistance may include the return f personal effects,
counselling, privacy, legal advice, visits to the accident side, assistance with
travel and accommodation, and liaison with relevant agencies and organiza-

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 9/26

 tions. In addition, requests for information on the progress of the investigation
of the accident may be expected from the family members and the survivors.

Chapter 3
TYPES OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE
3.1 Family assistance providers must recognize that the families and the survivors
may have diverse cultural backgrounds and values that require special under-
standing and consideration. These considerations may include the grieving
process, the form of, and attendance at, religious services, the treatment of
human remains and the design of memorials.

3.2 States and aircraft operators having experience in providing family assistance
advice that the following types of assistance may be appropriate.

CONFIRMATION OF THE INVOLVEMENT

OF A FAMILY MEMBER
IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

3.3 Following an aircraft accident, the most immediate form of assistance is con-
firmation of whether or not the person about whom a family is concerned was
involved in the accident. The ability to provide such information is dependent
upon the availability of an accurate passenger manifest with sufficient detail for
positive confirmation of each passenger’s identity. There will often be a conflict
between the need for accuracy and the need for timeless in producing the
manifest. Efforts should be made to produce and update the passenger mani-
fest information as soon as possible.

3.4 Ideally, the closest relative should be the first person notified of the involve-
ment of a family member in an aircraft accident. Once that person has been no-
tified, he or she can b determine if there are any other persons who have a
bona fide interest in the victim and should be notified. When an inquirer who is
not the closest relative of a victim calls for confirmation of the involvement of
the victim, the preferred procedure is to try, by tactful inquiry, to ensure that
the closest relative has already been notified. The families should also be
asked to nominate one ore more contact persons in order to ensure the flow of
information to and from the other family members affected by the victim’s in-
volvement in the accident. Experience has shown that an average of four to five
contact persons per family may be required to ensure the flow of information
within a family.

COUNSELLING

3.5 Counseling for the survivors and their families is expected in many societies.
Such support can vary from providing common-sense advice on dealing with
the practical aspects of life after an accident to more significant mental-health
care. Providing support to the families will require well-coordinated logistics
which should not be the responsibility of the caregiver. The caregivers should
concentrate solely on caring for the well-being of the families.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 10/26

 PRIVACY
3.6 Privacy for the families and the survivors is of utmost importance. The provi-
sion of closed and quiet meeting rooms is essential.

IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
3.7 The families and the survivors may require immediate financial assistance. In
particular, they may need to be provided with sufficient funds to meet their im-
mediate needs as well advice on how to take advantage of the other forms of
family assistance available.

IMMIGRATION AND
CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

3.8 The families and the survivors will often need assistance with immigration and
customs formalities. Survivors who have their identity papers and tickets in the
accident will require assistance to complete their travel. Family members may
need to travel to the accident side, a hospital or another location to meet in-
jured survivors, attend memorial services or visit the state of occurrence for
reasons directly related to the accident. Assistance from immigration and cus-
toms agencies will also be required for the repatriation of human remains.

VISITS TO THE ACCIDENT SITE

3.9.1 Where assess is practicable, a visit to the accident site by the families and the
survivors, as part of the grieving process, is important and has become com-
mon practice. The travel necessary to facilitate these visits, the escorting of
family members while they are at the accident site and their accommodation
until they leave the country are matters which need to be considered. Families
may also appreciate assistance with the care of any young children they have
brought with them. Experience has shown that the family members of those
killed in an accident prefer not to share the visit to the accident site with survi-
vors. Also, it is advisable to arrange the visit for family members of passengers
separately from that of the visit for family members of the crew. There will also
be occasions when visits to the accident site by family members are impracti-
cal due to remoteness or topographical features. In the case of suspected
criminal involvement, visits to the site may be restricted by judicial authorities.

IDENTIFICATION, CUSTODY AND

RETURN OF HUMAN REMAINS

3.10 The identification, custody and return of human remain are very important
forms of family assistance. Remains are often difficult to recover. Identification can
be an arduous and time-consuming process, and legislation often requires a post-
mortem examination of those killed in an accident. In some accident, here will be
remains that cannot be identified despite exhaustive efforts.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 11/26

 PROTECTION AND RETURN OF
PERSONAL EFFECTS

3.11 The families and the survivors will need reassurance that arrangements have
been made to ensure that personal effects will be correctly handled and returned
to there legal owners. The protection of personal effects is usually the responsibil-
ity of the aircraft operators in conjunction with the police. On occasion, these
items will be held as evidence by the accident investigation authority or police. A
pictorial record of non-identified personal effects should be made and circulated to
family members for identification. The handing over of the pictorial record should
take place in the presence of a caregiver, close friend, or clergyman, etc.

PROVISION OF INFORMATION

3.12 The provision of a continuous flow of information is fundamental to an effective

family assistance program. Care should be taken to ensure that teach families con-
tact persons pass on the information to the whole family. The families and the sur-
vivors are anxious to be provided, as soon as practicable, with details about items
of immediate concern, such as;

• accommodation while away from home;

• onward travel
• payment for immediate needs;
• identification and return of human remains;
• return of personal effects
• travel to the accident site (time, aircraft type, ticketing procedure, visa re-
quirements, accommodation, etc.)
• memorial services; and
• Information sessions by airline representative, accident investigation au-
thorities, etc.

In the longer term, the families and the survivors may be provided, through periodic
advisors, with updated information on the progress of the accident investigation and
what additional assistance they can expect in order to facilitate their adjustment to life
after the accident. To the extent appropriate, the families should be invited to attend
public hearing related to the accident.

LIAISON WITH FAMILIES

3.13 The provision of family assistance will probably involve government agencies,
aircraft operators, aid and humanitarian organizations, and private contractors.
Each of these providers has a specific role, and their task will be facilitated if the
families and the survivors are aware of that role and how each provider can be
contacted. One state has produced a pamphlet which outlines the role of each pro-
vider agency involved and contains space to enter the contact details for each
agency.

MEMORIALS

3.14 Families need to be assured tat they will be able to participate I any memorial
services held after the accident and that they will have the opportunity to be in-
volved in the design of any memorial structures erected in memory of those killed
in the accident. The involvement of the families in the planning of these services
should be facilitated.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 12/26

 LEGAL ADVICE

3.15 The families and survivors may are usually in a state of shock for some time. In
these circumstances, it may be too early to address legal matters with them. Nev-
ertheless, it is appropriate that they have access to general information pertaining
to legal matters, such as information about immediate financial assistance and po-
tential further entitlements.

COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AXTRACTS

3.16 Some families and survivors may consider that they should be entitled to listen
to the cockpit voice recording and to have access to a transcript of the cockpit
voice recording. The disclosure of cockpit voice recordings is dependent upon na-
tional policy and legislation. Disclosure of cockpit voice recording and transcript is
contrary to the international standards in annex 13.

FAMILY ASSOCIATONS

3.17 If requested by the families and the survivors, the operator and the government
agencies should be prepared to support the establishment of family associations.
It is essential that such an initiative originate with the families and the survivors.
Family associations provide a good forum to share grief, arrange memorial ser-
vices and exchange information. However, family assistance providers must en-
sure that contact is maintained with families and survivors who do not join such
associations.

CHAPTER 4
WHEN FAMILY ASSISTANCE
SHOULD BE PROVIDED
4.1 An important planning consideration is to determine the circumstances under
which a state may involved in the provision of family assistance.

4.2 The potential need to provide family assistance will arise whenever an aircraft
accident that occurs in a states territory involves loss of life or injury o the air-
craft occupants or to third parties who become involved unintentionally.

4.3 The need for a state, which is not the state of occurrence, to provide family as-
sistance may arise when an accident occurs in international waters adjacent to
the state or when the state of occurrence requests such assistance. Several
major accidents in international waters have created such situations.

4.4 An aircraft accident involving a collision between two wide-bodied aircraft, or

occurring in a heavily built-up area, has the potential to involve over 1000 vic-
tims. For smaller accidents, he aircraft operator and the states normal emer-
gency response teams will have the resources to provide appropriate assis-
tance. The point at which there will be a need to supplement normal emergency
response resources must be determined. Some aircraft operators estimate that
a minimum of three care givers per passenger seat of their largest aircraft
should be the basis for planning in order to allow for personnel replacement
and work schedule planning.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 13/26

 CHAPTER 5
FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS
STATE OF OCCURRENCE

5.1 The state of occurrence has several roles in the provision of family assistance.
These include inter alias;

• preparing a plan to ensure that aircraft accident victims and their families
receive the types of family assistance to which they are entitled, as deter-
mined by the state;
• coordinating the resources involved in providing family assistance;
• ensuring that t human remains are identified;
• proving for the return of human remains to the home country, where appro-
priate;
• facilitating travel by family members to the hospitals where injured victims
are being treated, the accident site and memorial services;
• facilitating onward travel for survivors; and
• Providing families and survivors with information on the progress of the in-
vestigation of his accident.

5.2 The aim of the information in the preceding chapters is to assist a state in de-
termining who is entitled to family assistance following an aircraft accident and the
nature of that assistance. After a state has determined which persons are entitled to
each type of assistance, the next consideration is to establish which agencies will
provide that assistance. A coordinator should be designated prior to the occurrence of
an accident.

COORDINATING AGENCY
5.3 The provision of family assistance involves many agencies and authorities. The
designation of a coordinator is essential to ensure that the various agencies function
together to provide the optimum assistance to the families and the survivors. The co-
ordinator may also be the point of contact between the families and government agen-
cies. The means by which the coordinator may be contacted should be determined in
the planning phase and should be promulgated as soon as practicable after the occur-
rence of an accident.

5.4 Accident investigation authorities are aware that the primary task of their inves-
tigators is to investigate the circumstances of the accident. Family assistance should
be provided by other agencies or at least by personnel other than the investigators.
One state has considered it practicable to establish a department within its accident
investigation authority to coordinate the provision of family assistance.

THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR

5.5 The aircraft operator is normally the best entity to establish whether or not a
person has been involved in an aircraft accident. Some states have legislation
that aircraft operator to maintain an accurate passenger manifest to facilitate
the identification of any of their citizens who may be involved in an aircraft ac-
cident. The operator may also be required to have a plan for the provision of
family assistance in the event of an accident in that state.

5.6 The aircraft operator should have an adequate number of suitably qualified
available to answer inquiries concerning the passengers involved. The normal
means of contacting this team is by telephone, the telephone numbers having

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 14/26

 been promulgate by the aircraft operator. The aircraft operator should also
make every endeavor to ensure that the immediate family of any aircraft acci-
dent victim, about whom no enquiry has been made, is notified of the victim’s
involvement in the accident.

5.7 Other types of family assistance in which the operator can be expected to have
a major role are;

• transportation for the families and the survivors;

• immediate financial assistance for the dependents of victims;
• the provision of counseling services for the families and the survivors;
• arrangement for a visit to the accident site for the families and the survi-
vors;
• arrangement for memorial services and erection of memorial structures;
• transportation for the families to any memorial service;
• the escorting and sheltering of families and survivors who visit the accident
site and attend memorial services;
• the collection of ante-mortem information to assist in the identification of
human remains;
• the return of human remains to their home country;
• assistance with funeral arrangements, if desired;
• the location, storage and return of personal effects to the families and the
survivors; and
• the provision of information on matters related to the care of the families
and the survivors.

In the case of code-share flights and airlines that are members of an alliance,
the partner airlines should assist with these tasks, particularly when an accident oc-
curs away from the home base of the airline.

THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

INVESTIGATION AUTHORITY
5.8 The provision of family assistance should be separate from the accident inves-
tigation. The accident investigation authority’s investigator-in-charge must re-
main focused on his investigation of the accident. Nevertheless, the accident
investigation authority has a responsibility to provide relevant and timely in-
formation to the families and the accident survivors. Depending upon the allo-
cation of responsibilities for the investigation, the investigation authority may
be able to provide to the families and the survivors information on issues of
immediate concern, such as the release of human remains and personal ef-
fects held as part of the investigation, information on the progress of the inves-
tigation in determining the causes of the accident and ant safety recommenda-
tions being contemplated to prevent similar accidents.

5.9 The investigator-in-charge of an investigation should be aware of the concern

of the families and the survivors and should ensure that they are kept informed.
To shield the investigator-in-charge from a large number of direct inquiries, the
accident investigator authority should consider appointing a liaison person as
a focal point for such inquiries.

AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR

VICTIM IDENTIFICATION
5.10 Police, coroners, health authorities and the aircraft operator may each have an
important role in identifying and caring for the remains of victims. This responsibility
may be shared or may be the sole responsibility of a specific authority, depending on

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 15/26

the convention of the state of occurrence. Some airlines may delegate their responsi-
bilities in this matter of an authorized commercial entity.

5.10 Following the identification of fatalities, arrangement must be made for the re-
turn of human remains across international boundaries and for the final inter-
ment of the victims in accordance with the cultural requirement of the families.

THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY

5.11 Liaison with the families and the survivors n matters related to relevant aviation
regulations, aircraft airworthiness and any safety measures that will be intro-
duced as a consequence of an accident is normally a function of the civil avia-
tion authority.

THE POLICE
5.12 The police are usually among the first to arrive at the scene of an accident and
may have a significant role in the notification of the involvement of a family
member in an aircraft accident, as well as in the security and return of personal
effects. In some states, the responsibility for victim identification and notifica-
tion of death to next of kin rests solely with the police. The disaster victim iden-
tification procedure of one such state is reproduced in Appendix 3 to this circu-
lar.

DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR STAFF

5.13 The international nature of air transportation requires diplomatic and consular
staff to have a liaison and coordination role in facilitating the provision of the
family assistance. This may involve expediting the issuance of travel documen-
tation, expediting or waiving visa requirements and acting as liaison between
their own authority, their citizens and the state of occurrence

IMMIGRATION AND
CUSTOMS AUTHORITY
5.14 The immigration and customs authorities in the state of occurrence have an
important role in minimizing the travel formalities for the families, the survivors
and the return of human remains.

AID AGENCIES
5.15 Aid agencies have extensive experience in dealing with families and disaster
survivors and are often able to provide services, such as crisis counseling and
support for the families of accident victims. They may also be called upon to
assist in;

• providing areas for families to grieve in private;

• meeting with families who have traveled to the location of the accident and
providing childcare, where necessary;
• providing and coordinating crisis counseling services;
• contacting the families who are unable to travel to the location of the acci-
dent and providing crises counseling for them; and
• Advising the families of the roles of the aircraft operator and the various
agencies involved, as well as providing liaison with these agencies.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 16/26

 AUTHORISED COMMERCIAL
COMPANIES
5.16 Some government agencies and aircraft operators have found the use of au-
thorized commercial entities or consultant to be an efficient way to provide
some forms of family assistance. For example, a specialized company is often
used by airlines to assist in the identification of disaster victims and the identi-
fication, custody and return of personal effects.

FAMILY ASSOCIATION
5.17 Following a major aircraft accident, associations of the families of the victims
have in some instances been established. Family associations provide assis-
tance to their members in various forms and, in some cases, have provided as-
sistance to the family of victims of subsequent aircraft accident immediately
following their occurrence. As existing family association gain experience, their
involvement in the provision of family assistance should also be considered
and planned for.

CHAPTER 6
EXTENT OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE
6.1 Planning for the provision of family assistance will involve determining the ex-
tent of each aspect of that assistance in order to determine the overall re-
sources required. The following are the more important aspects to be consid-
ered.

TIME SPAN
6.2 Determining the length of time for which each type of family assistance should
be provided is an important consideration in the planning process. The appro-
priate duration of most types of assistance should be self-evident. The holding
of funerals for the deceased, repatriation of the injured, return of personal ef-
fects and advance payments are obvious milestones which may provide natural
limits to these types of family assistance.

6.3 The families and the survivors of aircraft accident may, however, be entitled to
some form of assistance until the investigation of the accident has been con-
cluded. Because the investigation into an aircraft accident may take more than
one year to complete, the most prolonged form of assistance may be the provi-
sion of information on the progress of the investigation.

THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY

6.4 Determining the extent of the family and who is entitled to assistance is per-
haps the most difficult and most important aspect of the planning process. This
may involve deciding whether a person’s motivation is that of genuine associa-
tion as a member of the family or the potential for gain by claiming association
with a victim.

6.5 There must be a limit to the extent of the family for whom assistance should be
provided. Those normally considered for eligibility are the spouse, siblings,
dependent children and the parents of victims. Exceptions may need to be
made in order to ensure fairness. When taking into account cultural differences,
it is important to ensure that all victims are treated equitably.

RESOURCES
6.6 The family assistance plan should take into account there courses that will be
required for the following phases:

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 17/26

 • immediately following an accident and prior to family assistance/disaster
management teams becoming operational;
• during activation of the planned family assistance/disaster management
program and the subsequent operation of the plan, including the manage-
ment centre; and
• post-disaster management.

6.7 In order to better utilize available resources, it should be determined whether

states could enter into cooperative family assistance/disaster management
agreements or whether aircraft operators could pool their available resources.

6.8 Some states have introduced legislation requiring aircraft operators flying into
their country to prepare a detailed plan on how they will provide family assis-
tance following an accident involving one of their aircraft.

CHAPTER 7
PREPARATION OF A
FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN
7.1 Concern for the families and the survivors of aircraft accident and awareness of
their need for assistance are becoming increasingly important international so-
cial issues. The majority of ICAO Contracting states are aware of their respon-
sibility to provide the type of family assistance that they consider appropriate
and practicable in the event of their involvement in a major aircraft accident.

7.2 States and aircraft operators that have neither the resources nor the means of
providing a comprehensive family assistance program should consider enter-
ing into appropriate cooperative arrangements with others in order to have a
family assistance program in place.

7.3 A proven plan is critical to the provision of family assistance because the need
to provide such assistance will occur with little or no warning will require an
immediate response and will involve large numbers of trained personnel, sig-
nificant expense and the use of specific recourses.

7.4 The seven steps that follow are suggested as a means for state to prepare a na-
tional plan for the provision of family assistance to aircraft accident victims.

STEP ONE- DETERMINE THE SIZE OF A ACCIDENTS

FOR WHICH THE PLAN WILL APPLY
7.5 Criteria that will assist in determining the size of accident for which various
types of family assistance will be provided are;

• the number of aircraft occupant;

• the scale of assistance envisaged;
• the resources available; and
• the national and home base of the aircraft operator.

7.6 The total resources required are directly related to the scale of family assis-
tance envisaged and the number of persons for whom it will be provided. In ac-
cident involving large aircraft, the total number of occupants, rather than the
number of dead and injured, may be the key factor in determining the scale of
the initial response required. During the initial, response all requests for the
confirmation of the involvement of persons in an aircraft accident must be re-
sponded to irrespective of the state of incapacitation of those persons.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 18/26

 STEP TWO- DETERMINE THE TYPES OF
ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED
7.7 The types of family assistance commonly expected by the families and the sur-
vivors of the aircraft accident are explained below.

7.8 Confirmation of involvement. Confirmation of the involvement of a family mem-

ber requires sufficient telephone lines to cater for upwards of 50000 calls I the
first 24 hours after a major accident. Therefore a team, which should be estab-
lished and trained in advance, must be available on short notice and for several
days to respond to these calls. Experience has shown that such personnel
have a tendency to work beyond the call of duty. It is essential that work
schedules are maintained and that the provision for relief staff is taken into ac-
count in the planning phase.

7.9 Counseling. Counseling in this context is normally the provision of experienced

persons who can advise the survivors and the families about the challenge of
their situation and the practical steps that will help them to cope with their
situation. The number of persons requiring counseling may exceed twice the
number of accident victims.

7.10 Privacy. The need for privacy for the families and the survivors is normally rec-
ognized be aircraft operators and airport authorities and should include shelter
from public gaze and questioning, as well as protection from specific groups
attracted to an accident environment, such as media representative and law-
yers. There may be survivors and family members who wish to speak to the
media and their right to do so, if so desired, should not be discouraged. Simi-
larly, even though lawyers may be dissuaded from contacting family represen-
tatives, some families may which to contact lawyers. In there efforts to provide
effective privacy, family assistance providers must take care not to infringe on
the rights of those whom they seek to protect. One state has enacted legisla-
tion prohibiting lawyers from engaging in unsolicited communication with the
families and the survivors for 4 days following an accident.

7.11 There may be several other groups that would appreciate the provision of pri-
vacy. These groups include those awaiting the aircraft at its destination those
returning to the point of departure of the aircraft when they become aware of
the accident, the survivors, and those traveling to be near the accident site to
support the survivors or to deal with the consequences of the loss of one or
more family members.

7.12 Information regarding financial assistance. Information regarding the availabil-

ity of immediate financial assistance to entitled persons and the applicable pro-
cedures to obtain it will be appreciated by the families and the survivors. Assis-
tance for immediate needs in the early stages of post-accident recovery is fore-
seen in article 28- Advanced payment of the convention for the unification of
certain rules for international carriage by air (Doc 9740).

7.13 Immigration and customs. The provision of family assistance is likely to require
considerable latitude with regards to immigration and customs formalities in
the aftermath of an accident. Survivors are likely to have lost identity papers.
The families of foreign victims and injured survivors will appreciate immediate
access to, and return from, the state of occurrence to attend to their responsi-
ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 19/26
 bilities. The most expedition’s procedures practicable should be developed to
facilities the movement of such individuals, as well as the return to the home
country of the remains of those who lost their lives in the accident. The provi-
sion practical to enter the state and obtain clearance for their supporting
equipment.

7.14 Identification, custody and return of human remains. Provision for the identifi-
cation of human remains and sensitivity in handling the custody and return of
such remains are essential.

7.15 Visits to the site. Visits to the accident site and accommodation and care of the
families and the survivors at the accident site humanitarian component of fam-
ily assistance. This can be one of the more immediate requirements following
an accident. In some cultures, it is important for the relatives to visits the acci-
dent site. When a visit to the accident site is not possible, arrangement may be
made for flowers to be released over the area from the air.

7.16 Personal effects. Effective procedures for the protection and return recovered
personal effects have the potential to relieve anxiety among the families and
the survivors. The return of property as expeditiously as practicable can sig-
nificantly reduce the sense of loss and shock. However, secure custody of per-
sonal effects is sometimes an acceptable option for the families of the de-
ceased. Relatives of those who lost their lives in the accident may not wish to
have any damage to the possessions repaired, but sensitivity and the risk of
contamination by blood-borne pathogens will normally require careful cleaning
of the possessions.

7.17 Provision of information. The provision of accurate and timely information by

the aircraft operator and other agencies providing family assistance is an im-
portant aspect of assistance to the families and the survivors.

7.18 Liaison with families. Liaison with the families and the survivors to explain the
roles of the various agencies involved and the progress made during the post-
accident activities is an effective method of retaining their confidence.

7.19 Memorials. Liaison with the families I the planning of memorials services and
memorial structures is important. Memorial services are normally non-
denominational and may be held in conjunction with the interment of any uni-
dentified remains.

7.20 Requests for cockpit voice recorder transcript. Request for cockpit voice re-
corder transcript need to be considered when preparing a family assistance
plan; such request should be referred to the accident investigation authority.

7.21 Legal advice. Families will appreciate any impartial information made available
to them on relevant legal issues. The preparation of an information leaflet or
similar guidance material would be a worthwhile supplement to the overall fam-
ily assistance plan.

7.22 Cultural considerations. Cultural considerations are important factors in the

preparation of a family assistance plan. The requirement for the treatment of
the victims remain may involve distinct and specialized considerations, as may
the provision of memorial services and the design of memorial structures to
those who perished in an accident. To assist states in their consideration of the
cultural issues which may arise, an example of one airlines guidance to their
staff on the laws, customs and culture at international destinations is provided
in appendix 4 to this circular.
ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 20/26
 STEP THREE-DETERMINE THE AGENCIES
THAT WILL PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE
7.23 In assigning persons to provide assistance, consideration should be given to
cultural aspects, such as age, gender and the suitability of the persons chosen.
In many cases, personnel who would normally be well-suited for family assis-
tance tasks will have to attend to heir normal duties. Some of the aircraft opera-
tors personnel may be in shock from the loss of friends in the company. Com-
pany personnel may also have a feeling of responsibility or guilt in connection
with the accident, and this may interfere with their performance in the event of
personal contact with family members In this respect, utilizing company per-
sonnel to provide assistance should be carefully considered and assigning
personnel who have been seriously effected should be avoided.

7.24 The sharing of resources amongst different agencies may help in overcoming
some of these obstacles. Some airlines have developed emergency response
teams which they are prepared to make available to another operator at a time
of loss, particularly when there is an association, such as code sharing or an
alliance.

7.25 Confirmation of involvement. The aircraft operator, using dedicated telephones

answered by trained persons, normally provides the initial confirmation of the
involvement of victims in an aircraft accident. The telephone numbers should
be toll fee for calls within the state, but access problems dictate that alternative
(non toll-free) numbers be provided for incoming foreign calls. The necessary
pre-planning and personnel training required for this task are expected of air-
craft operators as part of their accident response planning. Planning for the
rapid setting up of a facility to provide information will help to generate good-
will among the families. Some airlines have established comprehensive emer-
gency response centers, which other operators may retain to handle the initial
phase following an accident. Because a significant number of telephone inquir-
ies are made by relatives of airlines personnel, some airlines have found it nec-
essary to have a “call-home” procedure. The call-home procedure requires air-
line personnel on duty to call home when they receive notification of an acci-
dent in order to confirm to their families that they were not involved.

7.26 Experience has shown that the number of telephone inquiries following a major
aircraft accident can exceed 50000 in the first 24 hours. Ideally, each of these
inquiries should be answered promptly. Callers with inquiries regarding a vic-
tim should be referred, with as little delay as practicable, to a person who has
both the required information and the necessary training to respond appropri-
ately.

7.27 Counseling. Airlines, commercial entities and aid agencies in crisis counseling
commonly provide this service. One state has employed an aid agency to coor-
dinate the provision of counseling services.

7.28 Privacy. Some airport authorities provide for post-accident privacy for the fami-
lies and the survivors in their emergency response planning. In the case of ma-
jor accidents, aircraft operators may have to seek suitable accommodation in
which to sequester the families at the departure point of the aircraft, at its in-
tended destination and in the vicinity of the accident site. This may involve re-
serving all the rooms in several hotels. The cooperation of he media may be
enhanced by providing them with a dedicated area, scheduling regular brief-
ings on the progress of the investigation and assuring them that they will be
advised of any survivors or families who wish to talk to the media. It is advis-
ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 21/26
 able to arrange for separate hotels for the families of deceased victims, the
families of survivors, the media and family assistance personnel.

7.29 Immediate financial assistance. The aircraft operator involved should be aware
of the need to provide immediate assistance to the families and the survivors.
In some states, legislation may provide for advance payments to be people.

7.30 Immigration and custom formalities. The immigration and customs authorities
should have standards procedures for dealing with the repatriation of the sur-
vivors of an accident and the return of human remains to the home country.
These procedures may have to be reviewed to ensure that they are suitable for
accident involving large numbers of people.

7.31 Involvement of diplomatic and consular staff. Since diplomatic and consular
staff will have a supporting role to play, their involvement in family assistance
programs will optimize the support available from these sources.

7.32 Visits to the accident site. The planning for visits to the accident site and the
escorting of families and survivors will normally be arranged by the aircraft op-
erator.

7.33 Identification, custody and return of human remains. The authority involved In
retrieving, identifying and storing human remains may include coroners, police,
the military, public health offices, ambulance services aircraft operators, morti-
cians and special contractors. As regular providers of such services, these
agencies are well versed in the delicate protocols involved. An example of a
comprehensive police plan for disaster victim identification is provided in ap-
pendix 3 to this circular.

7.34 Personnel effects. After a large accident has occurred, many agencies may be
involved in the recovery of personal effects from the accident site. The police,
search and rescue personnel, he aircraft operator and members of the public
may all have access to the personal effects of the occupants. The police and
the aircraft operators may collaborate to store and return personal effects to
their owners. Normally, the aircraft operator is responsible for the storage,
cleaning and return of personal effects. The nature of some investigation may
dictate that relevant personal effects are held until the investigation is complete.

7.35 Provision of information. The initial provision of information to the families af-
ter the occurrence of an accident will be almost entirely by the aircraft operator,.
Subsequently, the provision of information from the various agencies involved
may become the responsibility of the coordinator. The coordinator has direct
contact with each of the agencies involved and is therefore best suited to pro-
vide up-to-date information and to be a liaison officer, as well as a buffer, be-
tween the families and the agencies involved. In cases requiring prolonged liai-
son with the families and the survivors, the responsibility of coordinator should
be delegated to a government agency. The use of dedicated internet web sites,
as well as conference telephone calls, are an excellent means of disseminating
information rapidly and have been used successfully following recent major
accident.

7.36 Liaison with the families. Initial liaison with the families is the responsibility of
the aircraft operator until immediate concern has been dealt with. The provision
of information may be shared with or transferred to the coordinator over time.
To facilitate liaison, relevant information should be provided to the coordinator
from such agencies as the corner, the police, the aircraft operator, the accident
investigation authority and the civil aviation authority. While some of these
ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 22/26
 agencies may wish to deal directly with the families and survivors, other will
wish to keep their distance and objectivity and will therefore rely on liaison of-
ficers to present prepared briefings.

7.37 Memorial services and memorials. The planning for memorial services and the
erecting of memorials will be the responsibility of the aircraft operator but may
also involve the state of occurrence. Experience has shown that it is advisable
that the content and form of the memorial services and the memorial are de-
termined by or in coordination with the families. While memorial services and
the erection of memorials are not standards features of a family assistance pro-
gram, they have proven to be appropriate following some large accident, par-
ticularly where the recovery or identification of a number of victims has been
impracticable.

7.38 Legal advice. Where necessary, specific legal advice to the families and the
survivors will ultimately be provided by their chosen legal representative. Nev-
ertheless, prior information on the general areas in which the survivors and the
families may require legal assistance will often be appreciated. The preparation
of this type of information may be entrusted, in advance of any accident, to a
neutral agency or entity, such as a bar association.

7.39 Requests for cockpit voice recorder transcript. Response to request for cockpit
voice recorder transcript is the responsibility of the accident investigation au-
thority.

STEP FOUR-DRAFT THE PLAN

7.40 The drafting of a family assistance plan will require input from the service pro-
viders and financial stakeholders involved in the provision of the required as-
sistance. Representatives of the agencies normally engaged in project involv-
ing the expenditure of government resources should also participate.

7.41 The family assistance plan may form the basis for empowering legislation. In
this case, the legislation should outline the plan and address the practicalities
of implanting such a plan.

7.42 There are several ways to tackle the drafting of the assistance plan, inc;

a) engaging consultants to prepare a plan after all interested parties have de-
cided on.

• the amount and types of family assistance that the state considers appro-
priate
• the agencies that will provide family assistance;
• the provision of the resources required to provide family assistance;
• the means of funding a family assistance plan; and
• the training required to provide family assistance;

b) contracting a panel of experienced persons to formulate the family assis-

tance and draft the legislation necessary to implement it; and
c) Adapting the existing legislation and family assistance plans of another
state.
7.43 A detailed model plan, which states might find suitable to adapt to their particu-
lar circumstances, is contained in appendix 2 to this circular.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 23/26

7.44 The adaptation of such a document would benefit from input from persons who
have had first-hand experience with aircraft accidents in wish similar family as-
sistance programs were used. Representatives from the agencies and organiza-
tions that will be involved in the implementation of the resulting family assis-
tance plan should also be involved.

STEP FIVE-REVIEW THE PLAN

7.45 Any plan that has the potential to involve large-scale expenditures of resources
of resources must be reviewed and refined to the extent practicable before it is
adopted by a state.

7.46 A plan can be reviewed by conducting tabletop exercises involving all the ex-
pected participants. This should be followed by a review f the areas in whish
improvements are required.

7.47 In addition to tabletop exercises, specific aspects of the plan could be exer-
cised in order to review;

• the practicality of the system to be used to disseminate information;

• the ability to provide a secure area for grieving family members and friends;
• coordination of the activities of the agencies involved;
• the means of recruiting large numbers of suitable personnel at short notice;
and
• The practicality of any recourse-sharing arrangement.
7.48 The review may reveal conflicts and misunderstandings, particularly where re-
gional and federal agencies are involved and where responsibilities are seen as
the province of several agencies or jurisdictions. It is necessary to resolve any
such issues before implementations of the plan.

STEP SIX-ENACT THE LEGISLATION

NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN
7.49 The potential cost of providing family assistance after a major accident is likely
to be substantial and therefore prior approval for the expenditure of significant
resources is essential. Family assistance is of such importance that it is likely
to require national legislation to ensure that the necessary resources and
commitments are available at short notice.

7.50 The drafting of appropriate legislation will be facilitated by the existence of a

practical family assistance plan. Legislation ma also is enacted to define the
responsibilities of the providers. For example, in the united states the roes of
the national transportation safety on board, the American red cross and foreign
airlines operating into the unite states are detailed by legislation.

7.51 An example of one states legislation for the provision of family assistance is
contained in appendix 1 to this circular. This legislation details the responsibili-
ties of the various governmental agencies, the appointment and duties of a co-
ordinator and the commitments required from each airlines that operates into
the state.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 24/26

 STEP SEVEN-EXERCISE
THE PLAN PERIODICALLY
7.52 Periodic exercising of a comprehensive family assistance plan is an expensive
but necessary insurance against unforeseen difficulties. Once the plan has
been approved, provision should be made for an annual tabletop exercise (or
practice) to ensure that changes in personnel or circumstances do not reduce
the efficacy of the plan.

7.53 The agencies and personnel involved in the provision of family assistance, as
well as the aircraft operators flying into a state, will change from time to time.
Therefore, any plan involving these agencies and personnel must be reviewed
frequently an conscientiously to ensure that the key participants are still avail-
able at the specified contact point and are till able to provide the resources ex-
pected of them. States should endeavor to make frequent checks to confirm
that all of the resources committed to the plan are still available and that the
contacts for their activation are current.

7.54 Few states will ever need to activate a full-scale family assistance plan, and
there are likely to be only a few occasions when it needs to be activated at all.
Very few states will have resources that are dedicated exclusively to providing
family assistance. Most personnel and agencies providing this assistance have
other duties that will have to be abandoned when the plan is activated. The
challenge for any plan that involves a significant response on short notice is
for the personnel and agencies involved to be readily reachable and able to re-
spond on very short notice.

7.55 An effective family assistance program relies on a core of specially trained staff
to ensure the reliability of the program. Engaging persons whose normal activi-
ties involve other types of emergency response, or the detailed organizations
of large events, an assist in maintaining a pool of trained and properly moti-
vated personnel.

CAPTER 8
CONCLUSION
8.1 Transportation accidents are a fact of life in every state. The procedures in
place to deal with the casualties arising from road accidents are in almost daily
use.

8.2 An aircraft accident has the potential to place such increased burden on the
normal emergency services that they will most likely not be able to fulfill their
intended purpose. Therefore, considerable forethought must be devoted to the
means by which additional resources can be made available to supplement ex-
isting emergency response services.

8.3 This circular should assist states in preparing for the responsibility that must
be assumed by the state of occurrence of an accident. Similar responsibilities
may be trust upon states when they are the nearest country to the site of an ac-
cident that occurs in international waters. Similarly, the delegation of the inves-
tigation of an accident to another state by the state of occurrence does not nec-
essarily absolve the state of occurrence of the humanitarian responsibility of
ensuring that appropriate family assistance is made available.

8.4 Consolidation of the planning process by the enactment of appropriate legisla-

tion to provide the necessary authorization and funding for family assistance

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 25/26

 programs is the culmination of a worthwhile humanitarian endeavor. The provi-
sion of the family assistance envisaged in ICAO Assembly Resolution A32-7
should be supplemented by the aircraft operator’s preparedness for such
events and the assistance of international aid agencies well versed in respond-
ing to a variety of disasters.

ICAO Circular 285-AN/166 26/26