ICAO 9756 PART II PDF

GENERAL

In accordance with the provisions of Annex 13, the State of Occurrence shall institute investigations and be responsible for investigating the circumstances of accidents and of serious incidents when the aircraft is of a maximum mass of over 2 250 kg. Annex 13 also recommends that the State of Occurrence should institute an investigation into the circumstances of serious incidents involving smaller aircraft. The State of Occurrence may delegate the whole or any part of the conduct of an investigation to another State or a regional accident investigation organization by mutual arrangement and consent.

The sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident conducted under the provisions of Annex 13 shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents. The accident investigation authority responsible for the investigation shall have independence in the conduct of the investigation and have unrestricted authority over its conduct, consistent with the provisions of this Annex. The investigation shall normally include:

a) the gathering, recording and analysis of all relevant information on that accident or incident;

b) if appropriate, the issuance of safety recommendations;

c) if possible, the determination of the causes and/or contributing factors; and

d) the completion of the Final Report.

The extent of the investigation and the procedures to be followed in carrying out such an investigation shall be determined by the accident investigation authority, depending on the lessons it expects to draw from the investigation for the improvement of safety. The scope and complexity of the investigation and the size and composition of the investigation team would be influenced by the following factors, among others:

a) injuries, deaths and damage to equipment, third parties and the environment;

b) identified and potential safety issues underlying the accident/incident;

c) the likelihood of recurrence, the probability of adverse consequences, and the severity of adverse consequences;

d) accident and incident history related to the type of operation, size and type of aircraft, the operator, manufacturer, and regulator; and

e) actual and potential deviations from industry safety and operational regulations, standards, procedures and practices.