6-1-06Godsey1 ICAO / NTSB Comparison

6-1-06Godsey2 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Mission - ‘to ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world’ No authoritative power Created in Contracting States (member countries)

6-1-06Godsey3 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Official Languages – English, French, Spanish Russian, Chinese, Arabic Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation

6-1-06Godsey4 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Created in 1967 An independent US federal agency Investigates every civil aviation accident that occurs in US, its territories and possessions Investigates significant accidents in the other modes of transportation – railroad, marine, highway, pipeline

6-1-06Godsey5 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Part Accident/Incident Investigation Procedures – (CFR Chapter VIII, Title 49)

6-1-06Godsey6 ICAO Annexes Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) – Striving for international standardization – Must be approved by Council by 2/3 majority – States may choose to adopt – States must file differences Local laws of a State usually prevail over SARPs

6-1-06Godsey7 ICAO Annexes United States is a signatory state of ICAO but has filed differences

6-1-06Godsey8 Agency Similarities Both aim to improve aviation safety Both strive to prevent future accidents Both make recommendations to advance safety Both perform safety studies Both try to educate regarding past failures

6-1-06Godsey9 Agency Differences ICAO International body No authority Only aviation-related Responsible for varied areas of aviation NTSB US Federal agency Official authority in the US Multi-modal Only responsible for aircraft accident investigation

6-1-06Godsey10 Agency Differences ICAO Annex 13, suggested SARPs Relates issues to contracting states in general NTSB Follows CFR’s Issues safety recommendations to which the FAA must respond

6-1-06Godsey11 Aircraft Accident Investigation NTSB follows a format similar to ICAO Annex 13 but does have differences filed NTSB has a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with certain countries regarding accident investigation cooperation which differs slightly from ICAO guidelines in some areas

6-1-06Godsey12 Definitions NTSB only Fatal injury, Public aircraft ICAO only Serious incident, Cause ICAO and NTSB use slightly different terminology which may change how an event is categorized. Examples

6-1-06Godsey13 Definitions NTSB / ICAO differences Aircraft accident NTSB not defined Probable cause, Findings ICAO not defined Findings Examples

6-1-06Godsey14 Responsibility for Investigation ICAO designates accident investigation is the responsibility of the State of Occurrence but may be delegated to another State NTSB investigates all US accidents and may delegate smaller accidents to the FAA. NTSB is often delegated by ICAO Contracting States to conduct their investigation or provide technical assistance

6-1-06Godsey15 Participation by States ICAO designates that participation may be granted to accredited representatives of the State of Occurrence, State of Manufacture, State of Design, and State of Registry or another State that can contribute NTSB allows similar participation

6-1-06Godsey16 Participation by Accredited Representatives ICAO states that accredited representatives may participate in planning meetings and in deliberations related to analysis, findings causes and safety recommendations NTSB generally does not allow accredited representative participation in meetings related to analysis, findings, causes, or safety recommendations

6-1-06Godsey17 Formation of Groups ICAO suggests investigation groups to be formed NTSB forms groups immediately based on the circumstances of the accident (ATC, structures, operations etc.)

6-1-06Godsey18 Party System ICAO does not specify anyone, other than an Investigator In Charge (IIC), to be involved in an investigation

6-1-06Godsey19 Party System NTSB operates on the Party system in which representatives, who can contribute technical knowledge and expertise, are invited to participate on groups (aircraft operators, airframe manufacturers etc.). NTSB specifically precludes insurance companies and lawyers from participating

6-1-06Godsey20 Disclosure of Records ICAO urges that certain records (such as witness statements) not be publicly disclosed NTSB must follow US laws which dictate public access to such information unless medical or private in nature

6-1-06Godsey21 CVR Data ICAO urges sensitivity of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data NTSB follows US law which prohibits disclosure of the CVR recordings to the public and allows limiting the transcript to only pertinent information

6-1-06Godsey22 Reports ICAO suggests preliminary reports (within 30 days) and accident/ incident data reports. Draft final reports are to be circulated for comment to accredited representatives NTSB produces preliminary notifications of accidents and incidents. Draft final reports are generally ‘official use only’

6-1-06Godsey23 Technical Cooperation ICAO will offer assistance from a bank of experts ICAO will offer a ‘neutral’ investigation when political difficulties arise NTSB offers ‘Go-team’ assistance or specialized laboratory services NTSB has to consider US political implications when assisting

6-1-06Godsey24 Training Cooperation ICAO Civil aviation training centers around the developing world Sponsors safety/ training classes in regional areas Seminars and symposia on variety of subjects International journals and digests

6-1-06Godsey25 Training Cooperation NTSB Accident investigation school open to foreign investigators Investigators sometimes teach abroad if requested Limited seminars/ symposia, only in English Publications only in English

6-1-06Godsey26 Joint Activities ICAO Accident Investigation Group (AIG) is responsible for keeping Annex 13 current NTSB participates in AIG meetings as well as more specific groups such as the Flight Recorder Panel NTSB is trying to align its accident database to ICAO’s database

6-1-06Godsey27 International Difficulties Many ICAO states have accident investigation formats similar to that of NTSB Most countries do not have the same autonomy as the NTSB in that their investigation boards are not completely independent US laws protect accident investigation authority

6-1-06Godsey28 International Difficulties In many countries, local laws supercede ICAO guidelines and judicial process can not be separated

6-1-06Godsey29 Global Impact Regardless of signatory status and differences filed, states do not always follow ICAO guidelines Countries which refuse technical assistance may not have the capability to perform a thorough investigation and the real danger of the accident is never uncovered

6-1-06Godsey30 Global Impact Countries which breach ICAO guidelines, especially in sensitive areas such as CVR disclosure, impact all future aviation safety efforts worldwide

6-1-06Godsey31 Overall, ICAO vs. NTSB ICAO Annex 13 serves as a good base for aircraft accident investigation guidelines but these are useless unless States adapt their local laws to be able to accommodate the process NTSB, with the support of US laws, is able to perform successful, independent accident investigations which helps promote aviation safety throughout the world

6-1-06Godsey32 References Aircraft Accident Investigation – Richard Wood and Robert Sweginnis ICAO Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, July 2001 NTSB Basic Aircraft Accident Investigation Manual, Volume I, Major Investigations