Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was never far from center stage Friday, repeatedly seeking to champion the family members of TWA Flight 800's victims.

And for the second day in a row, the mayor attacked the response of airline executives to the crash, accusing them of withholding information and lying to the families who lost loved ones.

In appearances at Kennedy Airport and a nearby hotel, the mayor was particularly upset by a TWA report that families had been notified by noon by Thursday, 15 hours after the crash.

"That's totally false," Giuliani declared, surrounded by city authorities who were assisting the federally led disaster response. "They hadn't even compiled a list by noon, or even by 4 p.m."

The mayor's vitriolic attacks on TWA drew support from the families of victims in other crashes, who have been frustrated with airline industry indifference. In addition, more than 300 phone calls came from around the country, said mayoral spokesman Jack Deacy -- who said some supported the mayor while others were outraged at his interference.

In its own defense, TWA spokesman Mark Abels said the airline began formal notification of next-of-kin at 8 a.m. Thursday at the request of federal investigators. This followed a painstaking process of confirming the passenger list. Knowing with enough certainty to tell a family requires matching tickets collected with the names on the manifest, a time-consuming process, he said.

"We are certainly sorry that Mayor Giuliani has been disappointed," said Abels. "These things take time, and we do them according to the advice of the National Transportation Safety Board."

But the mayor insisted on giving advice to the airlines: "Tell the truth."

"If my public information office or the governor's office or the president's office put out information like that, you would all be going crazy," the mayor said.

Giuliani's attacks eclipsed the firm, but more soft-spoken, assurances from Gov. George Pataki that the crash would be investigated and all victims aided. Some of the mayor's critics said he was running the risk of robbing the spotlight from the families and the search for answers, which might engender resentment.

"At this point the focus has to be on the victims and the broader ramifications -- not the publicity," said Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, an expected candidate for mayor.

But Paul Ofman, a psychologist who counseled Friday for the Red Cross, said strong advocacy can help the healing process to begin. "Disaster victims who have needs they feel are not being addressed feel comforted and supported by advocacy for their needs," he said.

Liz Willen contributed to this story.