The procedures of aviation accidents investigation. The human factor as a greatest aviation safety threat

Statistics show that air transport is the safest mode of transport in the world. However, it should be remembered that it is also the most expensive form of transport. Complicated safety procedures, expressed inter alia in prevention related to the prevention and investigation of aviation events, place the greatest emphasis on the human factor in aviation. Maintaining the reliability ratio in air transport at a sufficiently high level, with the current increase in air transport, is a priority. This requires integrated activities of all entities involved in aviation activities.

Aviation security is a general concept. Firstly, it covers problems related to operational safety (safety area). Secondly, protection problems of means of air transport and airport infrastructure protection against acts of unlawful interference (security area). The basic goal of aviation safety is to prevent all events related to the use of aircraft.

One of the directions aimed at increasing aviation safety was the development and an implementation of the concept of a safety management system, which includes subsystems:  processing and analysis of collected information enabling current examination of safety status, trends of changes and threat forecasts,  assessment of the effectiveness of preventive and rescue projects, a bank of knowledge about events, exposures, safety status and the impact of individual factors on safety.

Today we can say that a high security level has been achieved in air transport, as well as in services and in aviation training. It became possible due to the intensive, systematic and continuous work of aviation authorities and organizations.

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1. Karpowicz J., Klich E., Zarządzanie bezpieczeństwem w lotnictwie, WSOSP, Dęblin 2011.
2. National Aviation Safety Programme (Krajowy Program Bezpieczeństwa w Lotnictwie Cywilnym), ULC, Warszawa 2016.

Legal Acts

1. Konwencja o międzynarodowym lotnictwie cywilnym (Dz.U. z 1959 r., nr 35, poz. 212 ze zm.).
2. Council Directive 80/1266/EEC of 16 December 1980 on future cooperation and mutual assistance between the Member States in the field of air accident investigation.
3. Council Directive 94/56/EC of 21 November 1994 establishing the fundamental principles governing the investigation of civil aviation accidents and incidents.
4. Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents in civil aviation and repealing Directive 94/56/EC.
5. Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2003 of 4 April 2003 laying down measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation security.
6. Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2002 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency
7. Ustawa z dnia 3 lipca 2002 r. – Prawo lotnicze (tekst jedn. Dz.U. z 2018 r., poz. 1183).
8. Zarządzenie Ministra Transportu z dnia 30 czerwca 2006 r. w sprawie regulaminu działania Państwowej Komisji Badania Wypadków Lotniczych.
9. Rozporządzenie Ministra Transportu z dnia 18 stycznia 2007 r. w sprawie wypadków i incydentów lotniczych (tekst jedn. Dz.U. z 2017 r., poz. 1995).
10. Annex 13 – Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation to Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, edition 10, 2013. 

Internet Sources

1. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kategoria:Katastrofy_drogowe  (dostęp: 12.12.2013 r.).