Alexandria, VA, January 13, 2010 — The Flight Safety Foundation announced today that the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) has signed the Joint Resolution Regarding Criminalization of Aviation Accidents, a document that was originally jointly published in the fall of 2006.
“The safety of the traveling public is endangered by overzealous prosecutors attempting to criminalize aviation accidents, which can have a chilling effect on cooperation with accident investigators,” said FSF President and CEO William R. Voss. “We welcome these latest safety professionals joining in our statement of principles and urge judges, jurors, and prosecutors, like those involved in the unfortunate Concorde criminal case soon going to trial in France, to pay close attention. We cannot afford to let the desire by some for vengeance or publicity to come at the expense of safety for all. We need to learn from accidents to prevent them, not criminally punish well-meaning professionals and thereby risk a repeat of tragedy.”
The Criminalization Resolution was originally developed through the efforts of the Foundation, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the Academie Nationale de L’Air et de L’Espace (ANAE) in France. Signatories have expanded over the years to include the European Regions Airline Association, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations.
“The Executive, International Council and membership of ISASI believe that the current trend of criminalizing aviation accidents has a deleterious effect on the appropriate investigation of said occurrences, the finding of contributing factors and probable causation and the formulation of recommendations to prevent recurrence,” noted ISASI President Frank Del Gandio. “The Society fully endorses the Joint Resolution regarding criminalization of aviation accidents.”
ISASI is a professional association formed to promote aviation safety by the exchange of ideas, experiences, and information about aircraft accident investigations and to promote technical advancement in aircraft accident investigation by providing professional investigator education for the mutual benefit of improved investigation and the advancement of flight safety.
The Criminalization Resolution can be read here.
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafetstg.wpenginepowered.com
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@webdeva.flightsafety.org
