11.13.01 – (LAA) – Flight 587 Update

This is Jeff Bott, APFA Vice President and JFK Flight Attendant with the APFA HotLine.

Today is November 13, 2001.

APFA Representatives toured the accident site in New York, today. One of our APFA Go-Team members participated in the witness group, which is the group that interviews eyewitnesses to gather data, in cooperation with the NTSB. The flight data recorder has been recovered and is en route to Washington for examination.

There is a progress meeting this evening, and since APFA has been granted party status along with APA, AA, General Electric, NATCA (the air traffic controllers), Airbus and the FAA, we will be included in this and other sessions conducted on behalf of the investigation of American Airlines flight 587.

Our public officials have relayed concerns to the NTSB to get the information relating to flight 587 released to the public as soon as possible. This will hopefully alleviate further speculation and anxiety.

Please check the APFA website and click on flight 587 for a toll free number which will provide flight attendants with information relating to memorial services and other pertinent information. In order to protect the privacy of the families, we will not publish that number on this HotLine. You may also call JFK Flight Service if you do not have access to the internet. Also on the APFA website is Employee Assistance information

A memorial service for the entire crew is being planned for the week of November 26. We will provide you with the details as soon as they’re available.

If you have any photographs or copies of photos or if you wish to send condolence cards to the families of the flight attendants whose lives were lost, please drop them off at JFK Flight Service or mail them to:

JFK Flight Service
American Airlines, Inc.
Building #57
JFK International Airport
Jamaica, NY 11430

These photos will be used at the memorial service and given to the crewmembers’ families. If you wish for these to be returned, however, please include your full name and address on the back of each photo.

We are asking all flight Attendants to wear a purple ribbon in honor of our friends we lost on November 12.

On a personal note, I would like to ask that all of us remember to appreciate and take care of one another. We gather our strength to cope with these tragedies from each other.

Thank you for calling the APFA HotLine. This HotLine will be updated as we receive more information.

This is Jeff Bott, APFA Vice President, with an updated HotLine for Monday, November 12, 2001.

Following the horrific events this morning in New York, I want to assure you that your union is doing everything possible to not only assist with this investigation, but to get information to you as quickly as possible. We have representatives on-site at JFK. APFA’s Go Team is in New York, as well,and is actively involved in the investigation in cooperation with the NTSB and the FAA. We certainly understand the heightened sense of urgency for information in light of the events of September 11, however, we must understand that this is an active investigation and under no circumstances should we speculate on the cause of this tragedy until we have gathered all the facts.

Personally, I lost seven friends and colleagues today and I would like to read you their names:

Deborah Fontakis
Barbara Giannasca
Wilmer Gonzalez
Joe Lopes
Michele Mills
Carol Palm (Hill)
and, William Valdespino

The pilots whose lives were lost were Captain Edward States and First Officer Sten Molin. All of the crewmembers were New York based.

Please know that my prayers, along with all of us at Headquarters, are with you and with the families of those whose lives were lost today on flight 587.

This is Jeff Bott, APFA Vice President and JFK Flight Attendant and this is an updated HotLine. Today is November 12, 2001.

We are deeply saddened at the loss of seven more members of the APFA family and two more members of the APA family in the crash of American Airlines flight 587, this morning, from JFK to SDQ.

As we struggle to understand and deal with this tragic loss, we want you to know that we have APFA Representatives on-site, in New York, who are active participants in this investigation in our search for answers.

Words cannot express the sadness we feel today at the loss of our friends.

Please call this HotLine later as it will be updated as soon as we have more information for you.