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Part 1
The apparent breach of air traffic control separation between a JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft and a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Boeing 737-8, both of which were on approach into Piarco International Airport on October 10, provoked some seriously misinformed comments on social media.
Therefore, it is important for the public to understand the underlying international principles that govern aircraft accident and incident investigations.
Aircraft accidents, particularly those that involve the loss of lives, are extremely tragic events. Two major aircraft accidents in recent times were the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash on March 10, 2019, claiming 157 lives, and the Lion Air Flight 610 crash on October 29, 2018, claiming 189 lives. Both accidents involved the Boeing 737 Max aircraft and resulted in the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 Max fleet in March 2019, pending in-depth investigations by the US FAA, in collaboration with other international regulatory bodies.
On November 18, 2020, after Boeing incorporated FAA-mandated design changes to the Max, the FAA issued an order paving the way for the Max aircraft to return to commercial service. The FAA’s action followed a comprehensive and methodical safety review process that took 20 months to complete.
The FAA Max summary report can be accessed for reference at: https://www.faa.gov/foia/electronic_reading_room/boeing_reading_room/media/737_RTS_Summary.pdf
Aviation safety management seeks to proactively eliminate or mitigate safety risks before the risks can cause accidents and incidents. Safety management facilitates aviation activities in a disciplined, integrative and focused manner.
The aviation industry is subject to intense regulation and oversight by the US and other international bodies. During the investigation of an accident or serious incident, public statements by aviation safety regulators and investigators are only made on the basis of corroborated factual information.
All aircraft accidents or serious incidents are thoroughly investigated in accordance with the Standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 – Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation. According to ICAO, the sole objective of an investigation into an aircraft accident or incident is not to apportion blame or liability, but to determine the “root cause” of the accident or incident and make recommendations to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents or incidents.
The “root cause” is the highest-level causal factor, most times latent, that sets in motion the entire cause-and-effect reaction that results in a non-conformance, ultimately leading to an accident or incident. This causal factor must be identified and permanently eliminated through process improvements.
ICAO annex 13 further states that any judicial or administrative proceedings to apportion blame or liability shall be se
