After the Accident: Pack Your Bags Early
This is the next in an ongoing series about how to prepare for and what to expect after an accident from the perspective of an operator. If you are just joining us here be sure to go back a few weeks to get caught up. Each post from the series starts with “After the Accident:” in the title.
Now that you find yourself on your operator’s go-team, you know that you have to be ready but what should you pack? If you have been to any formal accident investigation training you likely received a suggested packing list. There is also a good chance that this packing list is overkill for the typical accident investigation. While comprehensive, these packing lists are designed to cover most environments and circumstances. In most cases, we find that planning for about one week away from home is sufficient. You will likely be staying in a hotel with some type of laundry facility and it is unlikely that you will be camping so you can do laundry if your trip extends.
The most important key when packing is to be prepared for the environment. I have been to investigations in remote locations as well as within a city but I have always been fortunate to stay in a nearby hotel.
Basic protective equipment is important as well. This includes sturdy footwear, work gloves, particulate mask, and of course some kind of hat to keep the sun off your head and face. Working around an accident scene potentially exposes you to dangers including hazardous materials, biohazards, airborne particulates, and plenty of sharp items. Because of this, it is best to have durable clothing with long sleeves and pants at a minimum. It is also likely you will want to dispose of these items at the end of the investigation if they are contaminated with something you do not want to bring home.
One more important note about clothing choice. It is best practice not to wear any clothing that displays names or logos of your company or others in the industry. With a typical media presence it is easy for them to make incorrect assumptions about who at the scene works for which company so it is best to just wear unmarked clothing.
In our experience, specialized protective equipment such as respirators or hazardous material protective suits are unlikely to be used. If they are deemed necessary they are typically acquired and provided on scene. One particular hazard that may be present around aircraft wreckage are hazardous airborne particles from composite components that have had their structure compromised. On one investigation in particular, the investigator in charge had us purchase liquid floor wax to spray over burned and destroyed debris to help keep the particles from becoming airborne. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis so follow the lead investigators instructions. As an operator, we have never needed to provide these items ourselves.
Beyond the expected personal items such as clothing, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, sturdy footwear, and basic personal protective equipment there are also a few additional items that will prove useful. A USB flash drive with it least 16GB of space will be necessary to collect files and photos from other party members. It is important that this is a new USB flash drive that will be dedicated only to this accident investigation. In a future blog post we will discuss this in more detail but generally speaking you will not want to mix any investigation files with your personal files. By keeping your personal items separate from anything related to the investigation you will protect your privacy in the event of future depositions. The same rule of thumb applies to memory cards used in digital cameras.
We highly recommend that all accident photos are taken with a standalone digital camera using a fresh dedicated memory card rather than using your cell phone or a memory card that already has unrelated photographs on it.
An environment like this obviously would require different clothing and equipment than an urban or tropical location. Plan ahead. Photo Credit: Yoshiki 787 via Unsplash
Some items that you may need during an investigation can be shared between multiple people. Items such as a compass, GPS, and measuring tape should be pre-purchased and kept in a team kit. There is no reason for every person that travels to the scene to bring these items. That being said, it is critical to make sure this shared kit does not get left behind in the event of an operator go-team launch.
Remember to bring your employee ID and business cards. Initially gaining access to a scene can sometimes pose a challenge. Arriving with employee identification along with business cards that have company logos and titles that reflect the need to gain party status are very useful. In all cases, exchanging business cards and presenting a company ID badge has allowed us to gain access to scenes controlled by local law enforcement. Additionally, as part of the investigation everyone will need to exchange contact information.
One way to make this more efficient is to arrange the business cards from all party members on a table and take a photo that can be exchanged together with other digital files.
In addition to bringing a notebook and something to write with (as well as a way to keep them dry), a company issued laptop with access to digital policies and manuals will be very helpful. Remember to have all of your electronics such as cameras, laptops, and cell phones fully charged and accompanied with their respective chargers and cables. Portable USB charging systems are a wonderful addition to your packing list.
Finally, a common question about equipment deals with a set of tools. I have been to accident investigations with an operator that had a large rolling Pelican case type tool box full of tools. We remembered to bring it and dragged it around the airport all the way to the scene but never used it. The reality about bringing tools is that the airframe and/or engine OEM will likely be present with their own tools and the investigator in charge will prefer to use them for any on-scene disassembly. If necessary, they may request an operator’s maintenance technician to support the investigation. If this occurs, it is critical that any maintenance technicians that are allowed on scene or allowed contact with wreckage are not the same technicians that routinely maintain the involved aircraft.
Regardless of what you decide to bring on-scene, the most important point is to be prepared and pack well in advance. If you wait until an accident occurs to start getting ready it is likely that you will forget something important. Just like the organization needs a plan before an incident or accident, individuals also need to have a plan in place.
More Reading:
Cranfield University (UK): Fundamentals of Accident Investigation
Select Accident Investigation Authorities:
ICAO: Accident Investigation Authorities by Country
National Transportation Safety Board (USA)
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Share Below
At VyClimb, part of our mission is to lead the aviation industry and the companies it serves to an elevated level of operational excellence to create greater stakeholder confidence. For more information or to discuss ways we may be able to help you please contact info@vyclimb.com.
