ICAO Annex 13
Definition
The international standard that defines the objectives, conduct, and reporting of aircraft accident and serious-incident investigations. It establishes the state-of-occurrence as the investigation authority and sets the safety-focus principle.
- Issuing body
- International Civil Aviation Organization
- Governs
- Aircraft accident and serious-incident investigation
- Key principle
- Safety-focus, not blame or liability
- Authority assigned
- The state of occurrence leads the investigation
Common questions
Why does Annex 13 separate safety investigation from legal liability?+
Keeping the safety inquiry independent of blame-finding encourages witnesses and crew to give full accounts without fear of self-incrimination, which produces better data for preventing future accidents than a liability-focused process would.
Who else besides the state of occurrence can take part under Annex 13?+
The state of registry, the state of the operator, the state of design, and the state of manufacture are each entitled to appoint accredited representatives to participate in the investigation alongside the leading state.
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