In the investigation of a safety event, it is important that as many elements as possible be examined. The greater the knowledge one has of the circumstances surrounding an accident or incident, the greater the chances are that meaningful corrective and/or preventive actions can be identified and taken.
In accident and serious incident investigations conducted in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13, Aircraft Accident and Investigation, investigators look into numerous aspects of an event — such as meteorology, air traffic control and crew training — to develop and test hypotheses, and establish conclusions. This information-gathering process is instrumental to the quality of the analyses and may signify the difference between an inconclusive report and one in which safety problems are identified and recommendations are issued.
The safety department in an air transport company has a similar role to that of an accident investigati…
