What is the responsibility of the airport during a post-accident investigation?

The responsibility of the airport during a post-accident investigation includes the crucial task of preserving the accident scene. This is essential for several reasons. Firstly, preserving the scene allows for a thorough and accurate investigation to be conducted by appropriate authorities, such as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or other investigative agencies. Evidence collected from the scene, including the location of wreckage, debris patterns, and any related factors, is vital for determining the causes of the accident and ensuring that safety measures can be improved to prevent future occurrences.

By keeping the scene intact, investigators can analyze various aspects of the incident, such as aircraft performance, human factors, and environmental conditions at the time of the accident. This preserves the integrity of physical evidence, witnesses' recollections, and data that might otherwise be lost if the scene were altered or cleaned up prematurely.

The other options, while they may involve actions that could be taken in the aftermath of an accident, do not align with the primary responsibility of the airport in the context of an investigation. For instance, removing wreckage prematurely could hinder the investigation, while providing medical assistance and notifying the media, although important, fall outside the core role of preserving the scene for investigative purposes.