Experience has shown that accidents are often preceded by safety-related incidents and deficiencies thereby revealing the existence of safety hazards. Therefore, safety data is an important resource for the detection of potential safety hazards. In addition, whilst the ability to learn from an accident is crucial, purely reactive systems have been found to be of limited use in continuing to bring forward improvements. Reactive systems should be complemented by proactive systems, which use other types of safety data, to make effective improvements in aviation safety.
Relevant civil aviation occurrences should be reported, collected, stored, protected, exchanged, disseminated and analysed, and appropriate safety actions should be taken on the basis of the information collected.
Aviation Safety Reporting for Organisations
Aviation Safety Reporting for Individuals
- Report an occurrence on my personal behalf
Note: ‘Occurrence’ means any safety-related event which endangers or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person and includes in particular an accident or serious incident. - Confidential Safety Reporting
Legal framework
Protection of information sources
European Risk Classification Scheme (ERCS)
The European Risk Classification Scheme will be used by National Competent Authorities to risk classify aviation safety occurrences. EASA has created a learning module for the Authorities to enable better understanding on its structure and use.