Other Fixed Wing 0 4 1 0 1 0 7 3 2* 1 .
ROTORCRAFT .
Bell 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .
Other Rotorcraft 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 .
The AAI analyzes "accident and incident data as well as other safety data to identify safety issues and trends- (1). This is the part of their job that helps them determine the "why- an accident happened. As we learned in class they look at everything from ground scarring to burn patterns and wreckage distribution. Once they have gathered and analyzed all the data the AAI is responsible for making recommendations and "ensuring that the FAA fully addresses (these) safety issues and recommendations- (1). Once the recommendations are made the AAI is responsible for "coordinating and tracking FAA responses to safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. The FAA must provide the Board with its course of action to address each initial safety recommendation within 90 days after the issue date- (2).
One other aspect of the AAI is their desire for improvement. As we read earlier the AAI is responsible for making recommendations to the FAA. What about the AAI? Who makes sure they are doing a good job? They do. The AAI "utilizes the Accident Investigation Quality Assurance Program to improve the quality of all accident and incident investigations performed by the FAA, particularly those investigations performed by personnel in Flight Standards District Offices located throughout the country- (1). In short, they take what they learn and apply it to future cases to get the job done better, more efficiently, and with the maximum result. Now that we have discussed the AAI let us move on to some of the other "help- that goes into an accident investigation.
The Commercial Aviation Safety Team, CAST, is a joint effort by the government and the aviation industry to study and attempt to eliminate aviation accidents. Some of the participants from the government side include the FAA, NASA, and the DoD.