[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 38623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15654]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. OST-96-1960]


Requirement That Air Carriers Amend Plans To Address the Needs of 
Families of Passengers Involved in Aircraft Accidents

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This is to advise certificated air carriers that the Wendell 
H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-
21) (Pub. L. 106-181; 114 Stat. 61; April 5, 2000) amends 49 U.S.C. 
41113(b) to require, among other things, that certificated air carriers 
submit to the Department and the National Transportation Safety Board 
additional assurances for their respective plans to address the needs 
of families of passengers involved in aircraft accidents. The content 
and filing requirements for the update to the plans applicable to 
certificated air carriers are set forth in Title IV, section 402, of 
AIR-21.
    The additional assurances required to be submitted are described in 
Paragraphs (a)(1), (2), and (3) of section 402 of AIR-21. Under the 
section, certificated air carriers must submit their updated plans to 
the Department and the NTSB within 180 days of the statute's enactment. 
Since AIR-21 was signed into law on April 5, 2000, updated plans are 
due to be filed not later than Monday, October 2, 2000.
    Each certificated carrier should submit its plan in its entirety, 
that is, the plan as it exists with the new assurances as set forth in 
AIR-21. We expect each certificated carrier to give a high priority to 
the timely preparation and submission of its plan and meet the 180-day 
deadline for filing updated plans required by AIR-21. We note that the 
requirements of section 41113 apply to all certificated air carriers, 
including those holding cargo-only authority and those operating small 
aircraft. We remind all certificated carriers that while a carrier may, 
if it chooses, contract with an outside source to act as a point of 
contact and provide services covered in the submitted assurances in the 
event of an accident, in such a situation full responsibility for 
complying with the provisions of the law remains with the carrier.
    We would also like to take this opportunity to request, on behalf 
of the NTSB, that each carrier provide the NTSB an updated 24-hour 
telephone number for its operations center for use in the event of an 
emergency, and that the number be updated with the NTSB in the future 
as necessary.

DATES: Updated plans are due to be filed not later than Monday, October 
2, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Plans should be submitted to the Department and the NTSB at 
the following addresses:

Dockets--Docket OST-96-1960, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 
Seventh Street SW., Room PL 401, Washington, DC 20590;
Erik Grosof, Office of Family Affairs, National Transportation Safety 
Board, 490 L'Enfant Plaza East, SW., Washington, DC 20594.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the contents of 
the plans may be addressed to Erik Grosof, Office of Family Affairs, 
NTSB, at (202) 314-6189. Questions concerning the applicability of the 
requirements of section 41113 to a particular air carrier should be 
addressed to Dayton Lehman, Deputy Assistant General Counsel for 
Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, DOT, at (202) 366-9342.
    Thank you for your cooperation on this important issue.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2000.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.
[FR Doc. 00-15654 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
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