Responsibilities in aviation investigations will be clearly divided. The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and the Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents have agreed to define their respective roles and responsibilities more precisely when investigating aviation accidents and incidents, DKNews.kz reports.
The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation, improving flight safety and enhancing Kazakhstan’s national system for investigating aviation accidents and incidents. The document was signed by Michael Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, and Darkhan Katyshev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents.
Regulator and investigation body will have clearly separated responsibilities
One of the central principles of the memorandum is the clear division of duties and competencies between the two organizations during aviation accident and incident investigations.
This is a fundamental issue for the aviation sector. Under international practice, the primary purpose of an aviation safety investigation is not to assign blame but to identify causes and risk factors in order to prevent similar events in the future.
ICAO Annex 13 establishes the international principles governing aircraft accident and incident investigations.
The memorandum follows the same approach: the parties agreed to improve Kazakhstan’s national investigation system in line with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices.
Aviation data will be used to prevent future incidents
The cooperation will go beyond simply dividing responsibilities.
The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and the Investigation Center plan to regularly exchange data, analytical materials and professional expertise.
They will also work together on improving legislation and existing procedures, developing mechanisms for inter-agency cooperation and introducing international best practices in aviation accident investigation and prevention.
This approach allows information from aviation events to be used not only to understand what has already happened, but also to identify risks before they lead to another accident or incident.
This direction is also consistent with the safety management principles set out in ICAO Annex 19.
Kazakhstan will jointly prepare for ICAO audits
Another part of the memorandum concerns international inspections and assessments.
The two organizations will jointly prepare for ICAO activities and audits, including those conducted under USOAP CMA.
USOAP CMA is ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach, which evaluates how effectively states oversee civil aviation safety.
For Kazakhstan, the results of such audits are among the key indicators of how closely the country’s civil aviation system complies with international standards.
We previously reported on Kazakhstan’s results in an international aviation safety audit. At the time, the country was reported to have achieved a high level of compliance with international aviation safety standards.
Independent role of the Investigation Center will be strengthened
The creation of the Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents was part of Kazakhstan’s broader effort to reform the way aviation occurrences are investigated.
We also previously reported on ICAO’s support for Kazakhstan’s new investigation center. That cooperation focused on independent investigations based on international standards, developing professional expertise and exchanging experience.
The new memorandum adds specific procedures to this model. The two organizations will now define in advance who is responsible for what, what information will be exchanged and how cooperation will be organized when an aviation event occurs.
Legislation and investigation procedures will also be improved
The parties will also cooperate on improving Kazakhstan’s legislation and existing investigation procedures.
The memorandum provides for the introduction of advanced international practices in aviation accident investigation and prevention, as well as improved data analysis and identification of risk factors.
This means the findings of an aviation investigation should not remain merely a report after an event. They can be used to improve the wider safety system and reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.
The practical objective of the agreement is clear: to identify risk factors earlier, improve prevention and continue bringing Kazakhstan’s flight safety system into line with international standards.
