ACCIDENT CHECKLIST

Position Relief:  All controller personnel who were involved with or witnessed the accident should be relieved from position immediately.  Get them away from the operational area as soon as possible.

Representation:  Offer NATCA representation to all involved Bargaining-Unit personnel.  If possible, get them to a quiet, private area where they can remain calm and talk.

Notification:  As soon as possible, page the NATCA ASI for your region.  Leave the phone number where you can be reached.  When they return your call, be prepared to provide the following details:

·         Your name, facility and NATCA position (FacRep, Local Officer, Member).

·         A list of phone numbers where you can be contacted (pager, work, home, mobile).

·         A description of what happened, and an initial assessment of any potential ATC problems.

·         Whether CISD counseling may be necessary for involved controllers.

The NATCA ASI will normally handle initial coordination with NATCA’s Regional and National Offices.

If you do not receive a call back from the NATCA ASI within 30 minutes, call the NATCA National Accident Notification Mailbox at (800) 266-0895 ext 14911.  Be prepared to provide as much information as possible.

Listen to tapes:  Prior to writing ATCS Personnel Statements, listen to voice tapes of each pertinent control position with each controller.  If you take written notes, be aware that they may be subpoenaed later as evidence.

Personnel Statements:  Ask management to allow controllers to provide statements on the following day.  If appropriate, consult with your RVP or the National Office prior to submission.  If management orders controllers to provide statements, they should provide only a brief outline of pertinent facts (i.e. name, position of operation, basic events; NO speculation or analysis.)  Do not allow management to dictate wording, make additional comments or corrections.  Advise controllers to conclude their statement with the following phrase:

“The above statement is true and factual to the best of my knowledge, based upon the information available to me at this time.”

OWCP CA-1 Forms & Admin. Leave:  Ensure that CA-1’s are completed and signed by each controller in case post-accident OWCP leave is required.  Make copies for the controller and Rep., and give originals to the Supervisor-in-Charge.  Approval for “continuation–of-pay (on the job injury) leave may require prompt examination by a specially qualified physician.  Contact the RVP immediately if this becomes a concern. 

  NASA ASRS Forms:  If an Op. Error may have occurred, consult with the RVP about satisfying the immunity requirements of Contract Article 62 before filling out & sending NASA ASRS forms.  In accident situations, NASA may be required to send accident information to the NTSB, non-confidentially.

  Controller Release:  Ask management to release involved controllers from the facility on Administrative Leave ASAP.  If denied, have controllers request Sick Leave on the basis that they are “incapacitated for duty”, and advise the RVP ASAP.  Negotiate and document agreeable dates & times when each controller is expected to return for duty, and provide management with phone numbers where each controller can be contacted for recall. 

Advance Information:  Be prepared to give directions, flight or hotel information, or other assistance to the NATCA Air Safety Investigator and other personnel as they arrive.  Once the investigation begins, the Union’s Investigators will avoid contact with facility personnel to prevent a conflict of interest problem with the NTSB.

  Drug/Alcohol Testing:  A decision by the Regional Air Traffic Division Manager on whether to test involved controllers for drugs & alcohol may delay controller release pending a decision.  If controller performance cannot be positively ruled out as a contributing factor, testing may be ordered.  Post accident testing is a mandatory condition of employment and must be complied with.  It may take hours to receive the decision and longer for contract testers to arrive.  If testing is ordered, or there are related problems, contact the RVP or National Office ASAP.  Controllers are entitled to representation during the test process, if requested. 

Note:  NTSB Investigators sometimes ask controllers to take a separate drug test.  However, unlike the FAA, the NTSB does not have defined testing and chain-of-custody procedures.  Unlike FAA testing, NTSB requests are not mandatory, and controllers should decline.

Controller Reactions:  Pay close attention to involved controllers’ emotional states.  Their initial reactions, outward appearances and statements may be deceptive.  If appropriate, encourage controllers to request a “Critical Incident Stress Debriefing”  (Contract Article 74, CISM).  If they agree, make the request to management and follow up to ensure prompt arrangements.  Whenever CISM or emotional trauma is an issue, call the 24-hour NATCA CISM Hotline at 1 (800) 266-0895 ext 24911 and leave your name, details of the situation, and contact information.  A NATCA CISM expert will call you back. If appropriate, call involved controllers’ families in advance, so they can be prepared to help with the situation.  If appropriate, have someone drive involved controllers home and stay with them if required.

 Monitor Management’s Reaction: Advise the NATCA Air Safety Investigator, RVP or National Office of any concerns.

Media Issues: DO NOT speak to the media under any circumstances!  Even if the press reports wildly inaccurate accounts of controller error, do not try to correct it.  The Union’s Public Affairs experts and Investigators will handle it.  Warn controllers that they will be subject to disciplinary action for making any unauthorized statement to the media.

Stay Calm: Don’t be pressured into bad decisions.  Protect your controllers aggressively, but try to be cooperative and reasonable with management.  Controllers should always comply with direct orders from management!  Carefully document any problems to give the Union solid grounds for addressing it later.

Call for Assistance as Needed: If you’re unsure about something, don’t improvise.  Call the RVP or National Office for assistance.