Your Accident Reporting Responsibilities

Even if your aircraft is involved in only a minor mishap, you should notify the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal agency responsible for investigating civil aircraft accidents and incidents. It’s then the agency’s job to determine whether the event qualifies as a reportable incident or accident.

If the NTSB determines that an investigation isn’t warranted, you’ll have completed your reporting responsibilities. But if it does decide to investigate, you’ll need to provide additional information.

Accident vs. Incident

In determining whether an event qualifies as an incident or accident, the agency relies on a federal regulation that states that an accident occurs “between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and [when] all such persons have disembarked” and causes “death or serious injury” or “substantial damage” to the airplane. 

The definition of an incident is less specific. It's “an occurrence other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft, which affects or could affect the safety of operations.” 

Investigators often draw fine distinctions between the two types of events, but incidents typically result in minor or no damage and no serious injuries. Some mishaps initially classified as incidents get upgraded to accident status during the investigative process.

Mishaps that typically end up classified as reportable incidents include minor damage from bird or other animal strikes, windshield cracks, lightning strikes, non-critical parts separating in flight, bumping another aircraft or vehicle while taxiing, runway or taxiway excursions, an engine shutdown on a multiengine aircraft, failure of non-critical systems or landing gear, and landing with one or more wheels retracted.

Your First Action

Your first step after any accident or incident should be to call the NTSB Response Operations Center at (844) 373-9922. Be prepared to provide the following:

• Aircraft model, manufacturer, country of registration, and registration number (or N number on U.S.-registered aircraft)
• Name(s) of the aircraft’s owner and operator 
• Name of the pilot-in-command
• Date and time of the accident or incident
• Last point of departure and point of intended landing
• Location of the aircraft
• Number of people aboard, number killed, and number seriously injured, as far as you know
• Circumstances of the event, the weather, and the extent of damage to the aircraft, as far as you know
• A description of any explosives, radioactive materials, or other dangerous articles on board
   

If the NTSB determines that the mishap is a reportable incident or accident, you will be required to complete an 11-page form. Two important caveats: 1) Don't submit the form until an investigator contacts you with instructions regarding where to send it. 2) Don't submit the form instead of providing an initial telephone notification of the accident or incident. 

The NTSB will determine whether the event is sufficiently significant to require an investigation. In the event of a fatality, critical injury, or major damage, the agency’s investigators will travel to the accident site and may remain there for several days collecting information. The FAA is always a party to such investigations, and you may have an observer on site as well. 

Definitions of Reportable Events

To help you accurately provide the information initially required by the NTSB, the agency applies several definitions.

A “serious injury” is one that requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within seven days after the injury was received; results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); causes severe hemorrhages or nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; involves any internal organ; or involves second- or third-degree burns or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body. A person who succumbs to injuries within 30 days of the accident is considered a fatality.

“Substantial damage” means damage or failure that adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and that would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component. Substantial damage also includes engine failure or damage, bent fairings or cowling, dented skin, small punctured holes in the skin, ground damage to helicopter rotor blades or airplane propellers, in-flight fire, and loss of certain flight deck instrumentation.

The inability of any required flight crewmember to perform normal duties because of injury or illness is also reportable, as is damage to property other than the aircraft that is estimated to exceed a value of $25,000. Damage to the landing gear, wheels, tires, flaps, engine accessories, brakes, or wingtips is not considered “substantial” by the NTSB, though your insurance carrier may have a different opinion.

Preserve the Scene

As the operator of an aircraft involved in an accident or incident, and usually the first on the scene, you are responsible for preserving wreckage, recorders, documents, and other relevant items until the NTSB or its authorized representative takes custody of them.  

You may disturb wreckage only to remove people who are injured or trapped, protect the wreckage from further damage, or protect the public from injury. After being notified of an accident, the NTSB may or may not take custody of the wreckage. The investigator in charge may immediately release some or all the wreckage for transport from the accident site to a nearby storage facility (usually a hangar, if possible). If you have any questions about whether to move the wreckage, contact the investigator assigned to the case or the agency’s Response Operations Center.

Reporting Collision Avoidance Guidance

As an aircraft owner and/or operator, you must notify the NTSB immediately of a so-called "resolution" (collision avoidance guidance) issued by an airborne collision advisory system (ACAS) to avert a substantial risk of collision between your aircraft and another aircraft.

The rules mandate that you email the following information about your ACAS resolution advisory to [email protected]:

• Date, time, and altitude of event
• Flight origin and destination
• Aircraft type and registration number
• Call sign/flight number, if applicable
• Approximate geographical location of the event
• Whether the event was reported to air traffic control
• Air traffic facility the pilot was in contact with at the time of the event
• Whether evasive maneuvers were made
• Crew summary of event
• Contact e-mail address and phone number
   

After evaluating this information, the NTSB will determine what level of response, if any, will be required of you.