During the last few years of my Commercial Airline Career I served on the "First Respond Management Team" to visit the site of an accident. I had one hour from the time I received notice to pack and board our Corporate Aircraft destined for the crash site. The team numbered about eight under the leadership of our Vice President of Flight Operations. My assignment was to oversee the care of surviving passengers and arriving relatives/friends. I called on the members of our Sales Staff to assist. The first accident in the airlines history took place at O'hare Field, Chicago, IL. during the Christmas Holiday period. The weather was bad and on the second landing attempt the pilot experienced vertigo and in an inverted position crashed into a hanger. There were survivors. The member of our team who selected the mortuary was on vacation so I receive that assignment as well. Making that selection, with seven or eight mortuary representatives in the room, and dealing with the city officials thereafter was difficult.
I was on location about a week before the last remains was shipped to a home town mortuary and survivors released from the hospital. When I returned home I slept for the biggest part of two days. One good thing came out of the experience, I stopped smoking.