Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 219 Adopted 12 May 2015

Regulations Regarding Measures Related to Military Aviation Accidents

Issued pursuant to
Section 66, Paragraph two of the Law On Aviation

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes:

1.1. the procedures for organising search and rescue works of military aviation aircraft and persons suffered in aviation accidents; and

1.2. the procedures for rectifying consequences of aviation accidents and the procedures for co-operation of authorities.

2. Terms used in this Regulation:

2.1. search and rescue area of responsibility of the Republic of Latvia - an area laid down in the laws and regulations governing the search and rescue of persons in the case of an aviation or maritime accident;

2.2. an area of responsibility of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) - an area of responsibility of Latvia, except response areas of airports, military aerodromes, military landfill sites and the area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre;

2.3. an area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) - water aquatorium of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga in the area of responsibility of Latvia;

2.4. COSPAS/SARSAT - an international satellite system created to detect reports on accidents from aircraft, vessels and personal satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacons in the case of an accident;

2.5. the national contact point of the COSPAS/SARSAT system - the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre;

2.6. SAR plan - an emergency plan for the search and rescue of persons in the area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre laid down in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the search and rescue of persons in the case of an aviation or maritime accident;

2.7. a hazardous object - weapons and weapon(s) systems;

2.8. an area of responsibility of an airport - an area within the range of eight kilometres (five nautical miles) from the centre of the runway wherein the airport has specified access roads, infrastructure objects and medical institutions in accordance with the standards and recommendations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO);

2.9. a response area of an airport - an area within the range of which the airport rescue service is capable to arrive prior to the arrival of the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service; and

2.10. an authority - an institution within the meaning of the State Administration Structure Law.

3. The following activities shall be carried out in implementing the search and rescue works of military aviation aircraft and persons suffered in aviation accidents:

3.1. identification of a military aviation accident and notification of authorities regarding a military aviation accident;

3.2. identification of the location of a military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident;

3.3. performance of rescue works at the location of a military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident; and

3.4. provision of medical assistance to suffered persons.

4. The following activities shall be carried out in implementing the elimination of consequences caused by an accident of the military aviation aircraft and co-operation of authorities:

4.1. activation of operation of the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre and co-ordination of inter-institutional co-operation;

4.2. determination of the number of persons located in the military aviation aircraft and the identity thereof;

4.3. surveying the victims of the military aviation aircraft accident and relocation of the remains of the deceased;

4.4. provision of support to the victims of the military aviation aircraft accident and their relatives;

4.5. investigation of the military aviation aircraft accident;

4.6. organising informing the public regarding the progress of elimination of the consequences caused by the aviation accident;

4.7. immediate provision of support to the persons suffered in the accident who do not require medical treatment at a hospital; and

4.8. delimiting and security guarding the perimeter of the location of the military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident.

II. Identification of a Military Aviation Aircraft Accident and Notification of Authorities Regarding the Military Aviation Accident

5. Upon receiving information from the COSPAS/SARSAT system or other sources regarding an aviation accident in the area of responsibility of Latvia, the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre shall immediately inform the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre thereof.

6. After identifying a military aviation accident, if the aviation accident has occurred:

6.1. in the area of responsibility of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre - the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre shall immediately inform the National Armed Forces, the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Medical Service, the State Police, the State agency "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" [Civil Aviation Agency] (hereinafter - the Civil Aviation Agency), the Military Intelligence and Security Service, the Ministry of Defence regarding the accident, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if foreign aircraft or foreigners are involved in the accident, and also, where necessary, the aeronautical search and rescue co-ordination centres of the neighbouring countries of the Republic of Latvia;

6.2. in the area of responsibility of an airport - a controller of the air traffic control service at the aerodrome shall immediately inform the rescue service of the airport, the State Police and the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre regarding the accident:

6.2.1. the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre shall immediately inform the Civil Aviation Agency, the Military Intelligence and Security Service regarding the accident, and also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if foreign aircraft or foreigners are involved in the accident;

6.2.2. the airport shall inform the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service and the State Emergency Medical Service;

6.3. at a military aerodrome or military landfill site - the National Armed Forces shall immediately inform the Civil Aviation Agency, the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Medical Service, the State Police, the Military Intelligence and Security Service regarding the accident, and also the Ministry of Foreign Relations if foreign aircraft or foreigners are involved in the accident; or

6.4. in the area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre - the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre shall immediately inform the National Armed Forces, the Civil Aviation Agency, the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Medical Service, the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the State Police, the Military Intelligence and Security Service regarding the accident, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if foreign aircraft or foreigners are involved in the accident, and also, where necessary, the aeronautical search and rescue co-ordination centres of the neighbouring countries of the Republic of Latvia.

III. Operation of the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre and Co-ordination of Inter-institutional Co-operation

7. The Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre is an inter-institutional working group established on the basis of an order issued by the Cabinet, and it is operating independently, wherein the representatives of responsible authorities - the Civil Aviation Agency, the State Border Guard, the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, the State Emergency Medical Service, the State Police, the National Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence - have been delegated upon necessity. The Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre shall be managed by an official assigned by the Commander of the National Armed Forces (hereinafter - the NAF official). The operation of the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre shall be activated within four hours after a military aviation accident (after announcement of the search and rescue operation of persons) - an extraordinary meeting is held in accordance with an invitation of the NAF official. The NAF official shall invite to the extraordinary meeting also a representative of the airport wherein the military aviation accident has occurred, and experts from other authorities may also be invited.

8. The Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre has the following tasks:

8.1. to review and approve an action plan for the search and rescue works of the military aviation aircraft and persons and for the elimination of consequences caused by the accident;

8.2. to compile information on the consequences of a military aviation accident and organise, co-ordinate and manage the process for eliminating such consequences;

8.3. to keep track of the fulfilment of this Regulation and the action plan for the search and rescue works of the military aviation aircraft and persons and for the elimination of consequences caused by the accident and, where necessary, to harmonise and co-ordinate the activities of involved authorities in relation to implementing the measures laid down in this Regulation;

8.4. to organise provision of information to the public regarding the military aviation accident and to be the only authorised official source of information in respect of the military aviation accident;

8.5. to fulfil the obligations of a contact point towards the persons suffered in the military aviation accident and their relatives;

8.6. where necessary (depending on the nature and scale of the military aviation accident), to ensure an informative hotline service to inform the relatives of the suffered persons regarding persons suffered in the military aviation accident;

8.7. to organise provision of essential products, temporary place of stay, drinks, food and the necessary psychological support to the persons suffered in the accident; and

8.8. in order to verify the application of this Regulation or separate provisions thereof in practice, to carry out joint training at least once a year (the NAF official shall be responsible for the arrangement and process of training).

9. Upon request of the National Armed Forces, the authorities referred to in Paragraph 7 of this Regulation shall provide information on telephone numbers of the responsible officials and authorities to be used for the purpose of notifying about a military aviation accident, separately indicating members of the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre, office on duty and officials responsible for compliance with Regulation.

10. Upon request of the National Armed Forces, the authorities referred to in Paragraph 7 of this Regulation shall provide information on the sources and action plans of these institutions that may be used in the search and rescue works of aircraft and persons, and elimination of consequences caused by the accident.

11. After receipt of the information referred to in Paragraphs 9 and 10 of this Regulation, the National Armed Forces shall compile this information and include it in the action plan for the search and rescue works of the military aviation aircraft and persons, and elimination of consequences caused by the accident. The National Armed Forces shall send the action plan to all authorities referred to in this Regulations for co-ordination, and this action plan shall serve as basis for organising inter-institutional co-operation during the implementation of this Regulation.

IV. Identification of the Location of a Military Aviation Aircraft Suffered in an Accident

12. If a military aviation accident has occurred on land or internal waters within the area of responsibility of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre, in the case of an accident the search of the suffered aircraft under the guidance of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre shall be carried out by the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, the National Armed Forces, the State Border Guard and the State Police.

13. If a military aviation accident has occurred on land within the area of responsibility of an airport, the search of the aircraft suffered in an accident shall be carried out by the airport in co-operation with the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service in accordance with an emergency action plan of the airport.

14. If an aviation accident has occurred within the area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the search of the military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident shall be managed by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in accordance with the SAR plan.

15. If a military aviation accident has occurred within the territory of a military aerodrome or a military landfill site, the search of the aircraft suffered in an accident shall be carried out in accordance with the emergency action plan of the territory by the National Armed Forces in co-operation with the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service.

V. Performance of Rescue Works at the Location of a Military Aviation Aircraft Suffered in an Accident

16. If a military aviation accident has occurred within the area of responsibility of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the rescue works shall be managed by the superior official of the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service in conformity with his or her competence who organises and manages the rescue works on-scene, whereas support shall be provided by the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre, the National Armed Forces, the State Police, the State Emergency Medical Service and the State Border Guard within their field of competence.

17. If a military aviation accident has occurred on land within the response area of an airport, the rescue works shall be managed by the airport in conformity with its competence in accordance with the emergency action plan of the airport until the arrival of the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service, whereas support shall be provided by the State Emergency Medical Service, the National Armed Forces, the State Border Guard and the State Police.

18. The National Armed Forces shall immediately inform the airport and the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service on whether the military aircraft suffered in the military aviation accident contains hazardous objects and on safety requirements and restrictions in handling such objects.

19. If a military aviation accident has occurred within the area of responsibility of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, rescue works shall be managed by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in accordance with the SAR plan.

20. If a military aviation accident has occurred within the territory of a military aerodrome or a military landfill site, the rescue works shall be managed by the National Armed Forces in conformity with their competence in accordance with the emergency action plan of the territory, whereas support shall be provided by the State Fire-Fighting and Rescue Service and the State Emergency Medical Service.

VI. Provision of Medical Assistance to Suffered Persons

21. The authorities that have arrived the first on-scene shall provide first medical aid to suffered persons.

22. The State Emergency Medical Service shall ensure emergency medical care to suffered persons.

23. The State Emergency Medical Service in collaboration with the National Armed Forces shall provide information on the number of persons suffered in a military aviation accident, hospitalised persons and the deceased to the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre.

VII. Delimiting and Security Guarding the Perimeter of the Location of the Military Aircraft Suffered in an Accident

24. If a military aviation accident has occurred within the area of responsibility of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the State Police shall organise delimiting and security guarding the perimeter of the location of the military aircraft suffered in an accident until the National Armed Forces take over this duty after the arrival of the relevant personnel at the location of the military aircraft.

25. After carrying out the rescue works and evacuation of suffered persons, the State Police shall ensure that nobody has access to the place of accident until the arrival of the relevant personnel and the moment of taking over the duties by the security guard.

26. Where necessary, upon the order given by the National Armed Forces, the State Police shall organise placement of guards on roads to establish an external safety perimeter. The guards shall specify the movement direction towards the location of the military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident to the means of transport participating in the measures for the elimination of consequences caused by the accident.

27. If a military aviation accident has occurred on the sea, the National Armed Forces shall ensure closing of the accident area and restriction of movement of any floating craft therein.

VIII. Dealing with the Remains of the Deceased

28. The State Emergency Medical Service shall detect the fact of a biological death of a person.

29. The National Armed Forces shall arrange the transportation of the remains of the deceased to a specific location and shall inform the Military Aviation Accident Co-ordination and Information Centre and the pre-trial investigation institution which is exercising the criminal proceedings in relation to the military aviation accident thereon.

30. The National Armed Forces shall arrange the transportation of the persons deceased in the military aviation accident to their country of residence.

IX. Determination of the Number and Identity of Persons Located in the Military Aviation Aircraft

31. The National Armed Forces shall send a request to an airport wherefrom the last departure took place regarding the number and identity of persons who were located in the aircraft suffered in the military aviation accident.

32. The National Armed Forces in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall send a request to a foreign state where the last departure of the aircraft took place regarding the number and identity of persons who were located in the aircraft suffered in the military aviation accident, if the military aircraft has crossed the airspace of Latvia via transit.

X. Support to Persons Suffered in the Military Aviation Accident and their Relatives

33. The National Armed Forces and the pre-trial investigation institution which is exercising the criminal proceedings in relation to the military aviation accident shall ensure the transfer of personal belongings to the persons suffered in the military aviation accident (owners) or their relatives.

34. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall provide support in receiving temporary travel documents.

XI. Investigation of a Military Aviation Accident

35. The National Armed Forces shall initiate the investigation of the aviation accident at the location of the military aviation aircraft suffered in an accident. For the purpose of investigating the military aircraft accident, the National Armed Forces may involve the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau, whereas foreign experts may be involved in the investigation of a foreign military aircraft accident.

36. If the Military Police of the National Armed Forces or another pre-trial investigation institution initiates criminal proceedings in relation to the military aviation accident, any activities to be performed at the location of the accident shall be co-ordinated with the person directing the proceedings after completion of initial rescue works.

37. The National Armed Forces shall organise and manage the relocation of the freight, documentation and remains of the aircraft suffered in the aviation accident to the location intended for such purpose.

38. If a civil aircraft is involved in the military aircraft accident, the investigation shall be administrated by the National Armed Forces in conformity with their competence by involving the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau in this process and evaluating a possibility to involve foreign experts.

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma

Acting for the Minister for Defence -
Minister for the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis

 

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Translation © 2017 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)