Air Accident Investigation and State Safety Oversight with CAST Analysis

Abstract

Accidents and incidents bring to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) necessary data to understand the current level of safety in the state. Their investigation is carried out by the safety investigation authority capable to perform independent investigation activities in the state or authorized organizations. The final reports often include safety recommendations that the organization or CAA should apply in the form of corrective actions. Since most accidents are the result of several causal factors, there is an opportunity to investigate occurrences using a systemic approach to safety. One of the methods that can be used to identify system safety issues is STAMP-based Casual Analysis based on Systems Theory (CAST). The full application of the CAST at the state level requires some changes in the processing of safety data today. The goal of this paper was to create a concept of using data for the investigation of air accidents with the CAST analysis. Then to study the usability of the CAST to process safety data at the state level, primarily under the state oversight of the Czech Republic. The proposed concept presented with marked components of the CAST and the necessary data and information for the investigation according to this methodology. The concept shows where changes would need to be made to the current system setting to use the CAST at the state level without limitations.