AirCraft Casualty Emotional Support Services
Encyclopedia
AirCraft Casualty Emotional Support Services ("ACCESS") is an American nonprofit support group based in New York City
that helps surviving family members of aircraft crash victims.
The organization was created by the Heidi Snow, then fiancee of French hockey player Michel Breistroff
, who died in the TWA Flight 800
disaster. The American Red Cross
provided services for two weeks, after which survivors were left to arrange support on their own. Snow contacted Rudolph Giuliani, then Mayor of New York City, who in turn suggested that she contact families of victims of an earlier crash, Pan Am Flight 103
. After organizing the nonprofit, she arranged meetings between these families and those of victims of other major aviation disasters, including 9/11. The nonprofit also conducts sensitivity and support training for airlines and other companies that regularly deal with bereaving families and survivors.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that helps surviving family members of aircraft crash victims.
The organization was created by the Heidi Snow, then fiancee of French hockey player Michel Breistroff
Michel Breistroff
Michel Breistroff was a French professional ice hockey defenceman.Breistroff was born in Roubaix, France. A graduate in anthropology from Harvard University, he died at 25 in the crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York. He was playing professional ice hockey for French league team Ducs...
, who died in the TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
disaster. The American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
provided services for two weeks, after which survivors were left to arrange support on their own. Snow contacted Rudolph Giuliani, then Mayor of New York City, who in turn suggested that she contact families of victims of an earlier crash, Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
. After organizing the nonprofit, she arranged meetings between these families and those of victims of other major aviation disasters, including 9/11. The nonprofit also conducts sensitivity and support training for airlines and other companies that regularly deal with bereaving families and survivors.