Information for Families and Friends of Accident Victims following aircraft accident in Sultanate of Oman

For those who have lost their loved ones, Oman Transport Safety Bureau (OTSB) would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to your loss of family, friends and loved ones.

OTSB was established as an independent entity by Sultanate of Oman Article 46 & 47 of Civil Aviation Law (CAL) promulgated by Royal Decree No. 76/2019.

As a family member or friend of a victim of an aviation accident, you may have many questions about the accident that has occurred and subsequent investigation and the process of conducting the accident investigation including the time it takes for issuance of reports. This guide is to explain the OTSB accident investigation process and OTSB family assistance plan in respect of the Accident, OTSB will be at your disposal for any clarity and information you may require regarding the processes of institution and conduct of the investigation. We will further provide you with contact details of the OTSB to expedite and clarify any questions you may have with the accident.

The OTSB will Institute and conduct the investigation into the cause/s and contributory factors of the accident, and the Investigator In Charge (IIC) will issue as soon as possible the accident notification detailing the preliminary validated information of the accident aircraft (example, where accident occurred, number of people on board, state of register, state of the operator, etc…). This information will be shared by the The Family Assistance Plan Coordinator with the families’ representatives (only those made known to OTSB) of the victims prior to it being made public.

The families' representatives of the accident victims will be first to receive the preliminary report prior to the report being made public by an email from OTSB. The IIC will release a preliminary report within 30 days from the occurrence and it will be also made available in the OTSB website in the following link : https://www.mtcit.gov.om/ITAPortal/Pages/Page.aspx?NID=292531&PID=391044

Depending on the complexity of this accident, the investigation team endeavor to complete the accident investigation within 12 months of the occurrence, however should the investigation team not be able to complete the investigation within 12 months based on its scope and complexity, the IIC shall issue an Interim statement in respect of the progress of the investigation and any safety issues raised. This interim statement will be shared with the families and will be made available in the OTSB website. 

Once the Investigation is completed, the IIC shall produce the draft final accident report, and it shall be circulated to affected states and organizations for their significant comments prior to the issuance of the final report. OTSB has an obligation to afford affected states and organization a period of sixty (60) days to provide OTSB with their significant comments on the Draft Final Report.

Upon Receipt of their significant comments from the affected states and organizations, the investigation team shall review comments and amend the Draft Final Report if required. Or append the comments if the states so wished for their comments to be appended to the report.

The IIC shall release the Final Accident Report in compliance with ICAO Annex 13 requirements, and to be made public and shared with families' representatives, affected states and organizations prior to the report being made public on the OTSB website.

OTSB will be assisting the families with the following:

1. Provide the family with the accident notification when requested.
2. The Family Assistance Plan Coordinator shall liaise with Airline's family representative of the accident aircraft for transportation of the families to the accident site, (for those family members who wish to visit the accident site, and provided the accident site access is possible and not in the sea).
3. The nominated Family Assistance Plan Coordinator shall provide the family with progress of the investigation.
4. The Family Assistance Plan Coordinator shall liaise with the Airline's family representative for the families to be informed with family briefing locations and timings.
5. OTSB will be working with various government entities including but not limited to (Police,
   Judiciary, Health, Foreign Affairs, Search and Rescue, Airports, Airline). The Family Assistance Plan Coordinator will do the best to assist with information required by the family representatives and/ or direct the family to government entities responsible for providing such information.

PERSONAL EFFECT

Collecting and returning the personal effects of the victims is a shared responsibility between the air carrier and the local medical examiner or coroner. The complexity and scope of the accident scene influences the time needed to recover, stabilize, process, and return personal effects. Family members and survivors will be provided information about the personal effects process during family briefings by the Family Assistance Plan Coordinator/IIC.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER (BRIEFING CENTER)

The Family Assistance Center (FAC) is a secure meeting place established by the Airline for family members and their representatives, survivors, and friends to obtain services and receive initial information about the investigation. The FAC remains open throughout the on-scene investigation work. Personnel from the airline (operator), and selected government agencies staff will be at the FAC. Access to the FAC is controlled by identification badges issued by the airline. For families unable to travel to the FAC, arrangements by the Family Assistance Plan Coordinator are made to ensure that the same information and services are made available through other means.

DAILY FAMILY BRIEFINGS

Periodic daily briefings to update families, survivors, and friends on the progress of the investigation, access to support services, and other topics associated with the accident response will be conducted at Family Assistance Center and/ or other established platforms by the IIC. The family briefings are held in the FAC. Families unable to attend the briefings in person can participate through an operator-assisted, pass code protected telephone Conference Bridge, which will be provided at that time of the accident.

STAYING UPDATED

While on-scene, the daily family briefings are the primary source for investigative updates. The complex nature of accidents and the extensive nature of OTSB accident investigations may result in a year or longer to publish a final report. During the investigation process, there are several investigative milestones. These include the release of a preliminary report, Interim Statement and Final Report containing factual information about the accident. Family members will receive notification of these milestones by the Family Assistance Plan Coordinator and can contact the OTSB as per the contact information given during the initial brief, if they have additional questions. The IIC during his/her families' briefings will inform the families of the time and location of the next briefing. The IIC and the Family Assistance Plan Coordinator shall update their contact list of the families. Continues cooperation with the airline family representatives will be kept to update the contacts list.

VICTIM IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Victim recovery, identification, and death certification are the responsibility of the local medical examiner or coroner. To assist in this process, families may be asked by the investigation team to participate in an interview designed to collect information that will facilitate victim identification. During the interview, families may be asked to provide contact information for the doctor and dentist of the victim and to provide a DNA sample. This process is discussed during the family briefings and questions should be directed to the local medical examiner or coroner. Contact information for the medical examiner or coroner will be made available at the FAC.

Any enquires regarding the accident investigation can be directed to OTSB using the following contact: OTSB@mtcit.gov.om

OTSB Hot-line: +968 72 11 11 35