Airline associations in Europe have signed a joint resolution claiming the threat of criminal prosecutions in the wake of air disasters is getting in the way of safety progress.
The European Regions Airline Association, the Flight Safety Foundation, the Civil Air Navigation Service Organisation, the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Academie Nationale de L’Air et de L’Espace have all signed the resolution.
ERA director-general Mike Ambrose said: “The sole purpose of an air accident investigation should be to determine the cause of and contributing factors in the accident so that lessons can be learnt for the future.
“Criminal proceedings hinder this process by prolonging the investigation and discouraging witnesses and other persons involved in the accident from disclosing valuable information. People are unlikely to cooperate if they live in fear of criminal prosecution.”
The resolution cites nine accidents that have led to criminal prosecutions that the ERA says backs its case.
FSF chief executive Bill Voss said: “When highly respected aviation groups sign a resolution like this, regulators and lawmakers take notice and we can hope that it leads to the protection of the investigation and ultimately a safer aviation industry.”