Aviation Accident Investigation

Andre’s investigation practice draws on the field methodology taught on Cranfield University’s MSc in Safety and Accident Investigation, including a full accident-site exercise in which students secure and document evidence, map the wreckage, deal with next of kin, compile the report and brief the media within five days. It is combined with more than a decade of investigating aviation-related insurance claims in the office and in the field.

Not every investigation serves the same purpose, and it is important to be clear about which one is being conducted. A regulatory investigation by a state authority exists to prevent recurrence and does not apportion blame. A private technical investigation answers an operator’s or owner’s questions. An insurance investigation establishes the facts relevant to a policy. A legal expert opinion addresses the questions put by a court or tribunal. Andre works within these distinctions and is explicit about which questions an investigation can and cannot answer.

Findings of fact are kept separate from expert interpretation. Where the evidence does not support a conclusion, the report says so.