Decision about amnesty for flight 587 families?

[Danielle]

What was finally decided about the Dominican family members of the victims of Flight 587? I remember there was some discussion about granting them temporary amnesty so that they could come and see family members of the victims living in the states or take the victims' bodies home for burial. What ever came of that? Also did they ever come up with a definite cause of the crash? Just wondering!

 

[Sarah]

Re: Decision about amnesty for flight 587 families

I don't know about "amnesty", but I do have first hand knowledge of what it took to get my friends body back to the DR after the crash. She was 18, living with her aunt in NYC, coming home to the DR from college for her first semester Thanksgiving break. It took over two weeks just to identify her body via DNA. Her father and brother were flown from the DR to NYC and spent every day for all of that time waiting at a hotel there and at the Javits Center. It was an extremely painful time for them as well as for her family back in Barahona. Her body was finally delivered home more than three weeks after the crash. I believe that American Airlines covered all expenses for immediate family member's travel, room/board, etc during that time. Let me know if you need more info.

Sarah