Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority
Our Mission: Promoting Safety in the Aviation Industry
Vision
Valuing and empowering our people with the knowledge and skills with the goal of achieving a zero-incident, safe environment
Mission
Promoting Safety in the Aviation Industry
​
Values
-
Safety is our priority
-
Integrity guides our actions
-
Excellence is our goal
​
Mandate
The mandate of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is to investigate aviation occurrences to identify deficiencies in the aviation system and make recommendations as necessary, so those deficiencies would not lead to future occurrences. The AAIA does not assign fault, or civil or criminal liability. Instead, the aim is to understand the aspects of the aviation system that may have led to the decisions made on the day of the aviation occurrence.
​
The AAIA was created and became the official independent aviation accident investigation authority for the Bahamas on October 3rd, 2016 to comply with the standards and recommended practices of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO) of which The Bahamas is a signatory.
​
The AAIA works with the government, aviation entities, airline operators, and the regulator to ensure safe transport for the traveling public and industry. If things go wrong, the AAIA steps in to see if changes need to be made to the overall system of safety. Often things go wrong because we’re all human and prone to error and we know that people generally don’t intend to harm themselves or others, nevertheless mistakes do happen.
The AAIA is responsible for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents, as well as the publication of investigation reports. The AAIA is responsible for;
-
Maintaining its mandated independence and objectivity;
-
Conducting objective, accident investigations, and safety studies; and
-
Advocating and promoting safety recommendations.
​
The fundamental objective of the AAIA is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of air accidents and serious incidents and making safety recommendations intended to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability.
​
The following documents form the basis of the AAIA investigative powers and authority:
​
​
​
​
How to Submit a Report
-
Download the Notification of Accident / Serious Incident Form or other relevant forms.
-
Print the form and fill in the details of the occurrence.
-
Fax the form to the AAIA at 242-377-0272 or email the scanned form to baaid@bahamas.gov.bs.
-
You can also send us a message by completing the below form.
Mandatory Safety Reporting Information Required
When contacting the AAIA to report an accident or incident,
please be ready to provide the following information if known:
-
Type, nationality, and registration marks of the aircraft;
-
Name of owner, and operator of the aircraft;
-
Name of the pilot-in-command;
-
Date and time of the accident;
-
Last point of departure and point of intended landing of the aircraft;
-
Position of the aircraft with reference to some easily defined geographical point;
-
Number of persons aboard, number killed, and number seriously injured;
-
Nature of the accident, the weather and the extent of damage to the aircraft, so far as is known;
-
A description of any explosives, radioactive materials, or other dangerous articles carried.