Accident Investigations

Military services investigate accidents to determine the facts and causes in order to prevent future accidents, to assess liability, and to initiate corrective actions.

Accidents are classified to determine reporting and investigation requirements:

Class A

• Damage $2M or more

• Accidents involving manned aircraft destroyed/missing/abandoned

• Injury/occupational illness resulting in fatality or permanent total disability

• Friendly fire fatalities

Class B

• Damage $500k - $2M

• Injury/occupational illness resulting in permanent partial disability

• Three or more personnel hospitalized in a single mishap

Class C

• Damage $50k - $500k

• Nonfatal injury occupational illness resulting in loss of additional work/training beyond the initial day/shift

• Injury/occupational illness resulting in any disability

Class D

• Damage $20k - $50k

• Nonfatal injury/occupational illness resulting in restricted work, transfer or medical treatment greater than first aid

• Needle sticks/cuts from contaminated objects

• Medical removal under OSHA standard

• Occupational hearing loss

• Work-related tuberculosis

Class E

• Aviation accident resulting in damage $5k - $20k

Class F

• Aviation incident resulting in engine damage due to unavoidable foreign object damage

A safety investigation may be followed by a legal investigation. The sole purpose of safety investigations are to prevent future accidents. Legal investigations are used to obtain and preserve evidence for use in litigation, claims, disciplinary action or adverse administrative action. The investigations are conducted independently.

All accidents and mishaps should be reported to the unit safety office. More serious accidents must be reported to higher command.