Aviation accidents are defined in Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation as occurrences that are associated with the operation of aircrafts which take place between the time people board the aircrafts with intentions to travel and the time such people disembark from the aircraft, during which people are seriously or gravely injured and the aircrafts are damaged or undergo structural failure and or go missing or become completely inaccessible.

Investigating General Aviation Accidents in the United States

The investigation of general aviation accidents is often a simple process that requires a small number of staff members per incident. Although the National Transportation Safety Board, that is NTSB, investigates many general aviation accidents per year, there is usually need for abbreviated investigations given that the agency has limited staff and strained budgetary resources. Most of the investigations carried out by the NTSB are conducted by any of the agency’s regional or field offices.

Field Investigation and Limited Investigation

In a field investigation, at least one investigator goes to the crash site. On the other hand, limited investigations are carried out over the telephone or through correspondence. Nevertheless, not all general aviation accidents produce safety recommendations that are approved by the NTSB.

International Aviation Accident Investigations

The NTSB is the government body mandated to ensure that there is compliance with the United States obligations under the Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention. The Chicago Convention is an international treaty that details the structure for governing civil aviation all over the world. Thus, the international responsibilities of the NTSB represent a significant portion of the overall workload of the body. In the event that an aviation accident occurs outside the United States territory, NTSB has to appoint an accredited representative to carry out the investigation and report to the relevant authorities in United States. However, it is important to note that the NTSB ventures outside the United States in case the aviation accident involves a United State airline, or in case the aircraft was manufactured in the United States.

This article is not meant as a legal advice.

Learn more about aviation accident claims from Searcy Law. Office located in West Palm Beach, Florida.