Aviation

• Introduce the participants of the investigation to each other and identify those eligible to
participate;
• Organize participants into investigative groups;
• Establish rules of conduct for the investigation; and
• Reiterate safety and health considerations for all participants.
All on scene activities should be shut down pending the organizational meeting. If
search and recovery operations are still in progress, the IIC should designate an NTSB representative
to remain at the site during the organizational meeting. The organizational meeting should be held
as soon as practicable upon arrival of the Go Team at the accident site according to the time of day
and the number of parties that have arrived. For example, if the Go Team members arrived at the
site during the night, key personnel from the parties may not arrive until the next morning.
Therefore, the meeting should not be held until after the key parties have arrived. If the team has
arrived in midafternoon and most of the parties will be expected to arrive in late afternoon, the
meeting should be in the early evening.
The IIC will prepare an outline of the issues to be covered in the organizational
meeting. The IIC will identify himself/herself and, after calling the meeting to order, ask reporters,
attorneys, and others not technically qualified or needed for the investigation (e.g., an accountant
with the airline) to leave the room. The IIC should then distribute the attendance roster for each
person to sign and make sure that business cards (or equivalent information) have been collected.
Photocopying the cards and distributing copies to investigation participants will allow participants to
maintain contact with each other after the on-scene phase has been completed. Then, depending on
which of the following are present, the IIC will introduce the Board Member, the Board Member's
assistant, the GA, PA, and TDA representatives and all other Safety Board employees. Following
the introductions, other personnel in the room should identify themselves, their organizations, and
their positions within their particular organizations. Potential parties or individuals should
understand that, with the exception of the FAA, participation in the Board's investigation is a
privilege, not a right. All party-group members are to be employees, not contractors, and are there to
contribute to the investigation or otherwise be helpful to the investigation.
After introductions, the IIC should state that the primary purposes of the meeting are
to explain operating procedures and to assign specialists to the investigative groups. The facts of the
accident will be reviewed and should include the following:
• Operator;
• Aircraft type and registration number;
• Type of flight, origin and intended destination;
• Number of fatalities (or best information presently known);
• Condition and location of crewmembers;
• Extent of aircraft damage; and
• Other information considered relevant (e.g., hazardous material (HAZMAT) and site
considerations)
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