Safety, accident/incident notification and investigation (AIC, PNG AIC Act)
Notification and investigation
PNG’s accident and incident framework requires prompt notification to the Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) and CASA when an accident or reportable incident occurs. The AIC investigates independently to establish facts and safety lessons, not to assign blame. The PIC or operator must preserve evidence, secure the site where possible, and avoid moving wreckage unless necessary to save life, prevent fire or protect the public.
Definitions and immediate actions
An accident generally involves death, serious injury or substantial aircraft damage; a serious incident is a near-accident with a high probability of harm. Reportable incidents include equipment failures, runway incursions or serious deviations. Immediate actions include making the site safe, assisting injured persons, notifying authorities, and recording names, times and weather before memories fade.
Worked example
A training aircraft suffers a hard landing. The propeller is bent and a wing spar is suspected damaged, but no one is hurt. This is likely an accident because of substantial damage, not a mere incident. The instructor should notify the AIC and CASA, preserve the aircraft and records, and not fly it away for inspection without authorisation.
Traps
Do not wait for the operator’s internal report before notifying. Do not move evidence unnecessarily. Do not treat an AIC investigation as a disciplinary hearing; separate enforcement action may follow, but the investigation’s purpose is safety.