2009 Family Assistance Foundation Aviation Conference

September 15-16, 2009
22 Aerial Place NE,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2E-8X7
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Recognizing the unique challenges faced by the various Family Assistance Foundation member industries, this year we are pleased to offer industry specific conferences rather than our annual Symposium. The 2009 Family Assistance Foundation Aviation Conference will be held on September 15 and 16 in Calgary, Alberta Canada and will be hosted by WestJet, a Foundation member.

This conference will be a stellar opportunity to bring survivors and aviation industry operators, care teams and associated professionals together to remember key aviation incidents, discuss best practices and find ways to enhance the aviation industry responses. Along with traditional survivor and responder panels, we will also be providing participants with a full-day exercise that includes hands-on training and experience in setting up and operating a Family Assistance Center.

Venues

This year’s Conference will take place at the WestJet Campus/ Hangar Facilities on Tuesday, September 15 and at the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel on Wednesday, September 16.

Accommodations

The Delta Calgary Airport Hotel is the official hotel for this year’s conference. The hotel is located at Calgary Airport with easy access from the terminal on the departures level. The Foundation has negotiated a special rate of CAD $149/night (approximately USD $129). You must book your room by 21 August 2009 to secure your discounted rate and rooms are limited at this rate, so book early.

Registrants should book their lodging directly with the hotel by calling Global Reservations in Canada at 1-800-268-1133 or in the U.S. at 1-800-877-1133. Registrants outside the U.S. or Canada may call the Reservations Department at +1-403-291-2600 Extension 6347. You may also email Ms. Luda Kennedy at lukennedy@deltahotels.com

Be sure to identify yourself as attending the Family Assistance Foundation Aviation Conference and use Group Code 091309.

Ground Transportation & Parking

A free shuttle service running every 15 minutes will be provided between the airport terminal and the WestJet Campus/Hangar (located at 22 Aerial Place NE). For those participants driving to Calgary for the event, parking in the pay lot at the airport parkade is available and the registrants are able to use the free shuttle service.

Breaks & Lunches

Morning and afternoon breaks will be provided. Lunches will not be included in the registration fee but for day one the WestJet Campus is equipped with a food court serving a variety of food choices including a full-service Starbucks. For the second day of the conference at the Delta Hotel you will have the option of pre-ordering a box lunch or using any of the existing hotel or airport dining facilities but it should be noted that a formal lunch break will not be provided during the exercise portion of the day.

Survivorʼs Reception

The conference will also include our traditional Survivor’s Reception. This event allows participants to meet and talk with survivors, and provides a meaningful opportunity to pay tribute to all survivors who have shared their stories over the years and ultimately helped us better understand how best to support those in the future who will endure their own losses. All registrants are invited and encouraged to attend.

Sharing the Journey Awards

Winners of the Sharing The Journey Award for the Aviation Industry will also be presented at the Survivor’s Reception, on Tuesday evening September 15.

Awards will be given to both a survivor and an employee in the aviation industry. The survivor award is presented to Survivors who have offered assistance that furthers the Foundation’s mission of empowering people following tragedy. Examples include speaking in classes, workshops, volunteering and helping other survivors.

Recipients of the employee awards are those who have contributed to helping survivors above and beyond the expectations of their daily job responsibilities. Their assistance may or may not be related to a formal response and may also include any activity involving an employee of a member organization who has personally contributed to a survivor in need of assistance.

Nominations are still open and if you would like to nominate a survivor or employee please visit http://www.fafonline.org.

Foundation Fundraising Activities

The Family Assistance Foundation, through our Cruise Line Industry members, is offering two unique opportunities for winning a wonderful cruise holiday while helping to raise money for the Foundation.

Carnival Cruise Lines has donated a 5-Day Caribbean cruise in the Owner’s Suite to be auctioned by the Foundation, with all proceeds going to the Foundation’s education and research efforts. You can see the current high bid and place your own bid online at www.fafonline.org.

Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) has also donated a 7-Day cruise and the Foundation will be selling raffle tickets for this cruise at USD $5 per ticket or $20 for five tickets. To buy your raffle tickets go online at www.fafonline.org or contact the Foundation at +1 404 881 2895.

Schedule of Events

This year marks a significant milestone in the evolution of family assistance in aviation. Several disasters will be marking their twenty year anniversaries and these accidents had a great influence on the best practices and regulatory requirements that followed. Survivors from some of those key disasters will present as we honor the anniversaries of those losses.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Registrants will be able to pick up their conference packets at the Delta Hotel Check In desk.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

2009 marks a significant milestone in how family assistance in aviation has progressed. This year, several aviation disasters are marking their twenty year anniversaries and these accidents had a tremendous influence on establishing the best practices and regulatory requirements that have followed. Survivors from some of those key events will be present as we honor the anniversaries of those tragedies. Day one of the conference will feature:

• United Airlines Flight 232 - On July 19, 1989, United Flight 232, a DC-10 from Denver, Colorado bound for Chicago, Illinois experienced an uncontained engine failure in the Number Two engine. The resulting damage rendered the aircraft virtually uncontrollable. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Sioux City, Iowa where the plane broke apart and killed 110 of 285 passengers and 1 of 11 crew members. Due to the heroic efforts of the crew 175 passengers and 10 crew members survived the disaster.
• United Airlines 811 - Flight 811 departed Honolulu, Hawaii on February 24, 1989 destined for Sydney, Australia via Auckland, New Zealand. The flight carried a crew of 18 and 337 passengers. During its climb to altitude after departing Honolulu, at an altitude of approximately 22,000 feet the forward cargo door blew out, collapsing the cabin floor above the door and causing two rows of seats to be ejected from the cabin, killing 9 passengers. In addition, another 38 passengers and crew members were injured.
• US Air Flight 5050 - US Air 5050 was a scheduled flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Boeing 737-400 contained 57 passengers and 6 crew members. On the take off roll, the pilots noticed the aircraft drifting to the right and the Captain elected to reject the take off. The aircraft was not able to stop in the runway remaining and departed the end of the runway crashing into Flushing Bay. The aircraft struck a wooden approach lighting pier and broke into 3 parts. There were two fatalities, 3 serious injuries and 52 minor injuries as a result of the accident.

We will also be honoring the ten year anniversary of American Airlines Flight 1420. On June 1, 1999, Flight 1420, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 crashed when it overran the runway at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. The flight had 6 crew members and 139 passengers aboard. Upon departing the end of the runway, the aircraft struck a portion of the Instrument Landing System, traveled through a chain link fence, down a rock embankment and stopped in the flood plain of the Arkansas River. The Captain and 10 passengers were killed in the initial impact and 105 passengers received either serious or minor injuries. Twenty-four passengers were not physically injured.

This year’s Conference will also feature two survivors from Comair 5191. Comair Flight 191, operated as Delta Connection Flight 5191 departed Lexington, Kentucky for Atlanta, Georgia with 47 passengers and a crew of three on August 27, 2006. The aircraft was assigned Runway 22 but departed from Runway 26 instead. Runway 26 was too short for a safe takeoff and it overran the runway. In the resulting crash all 47 passengers were killed and 2 of the 3 crew members.

These survivors, who are currently assisting with a study on the Comair families, will present on their views of how far we have come and in their opinions, where we need to go from here in responding to fatal air crashes.

Day One will also include a presentation from Paul Houle, Director, Disaster Memorials Division of the Family Assistance Education and Research Foundation. Paul will discuss two newest memorials under way, Eastern Flight 212, September 11, 1974 and American Eagle 3379, December 13, 1994 as well as plans for organizing other memorials.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Putting into practice the lessons learned from past disasters is essential if we are to provide families with the needed support in future events. Day two of the conference will feature an outstanding learning opportunity that will include an all day exercise focused on responding to an accident situation with the goal of establishing and operating a family assistance centre. The exercise will incorporate a hands-on training with individual registrants being assigned specific roles and becoming actively involved in the response efforts. The exercise will be initiated by an actual automated notification, include the utilization of the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel as the site for the Family Assistance Center, including both the set up and operation of the Center and ultimately provide registrants the opportunity to work in concert with other responders.