An ‘Occurrence’ is 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. Since 2014, occurrence reporting has been mandatory for all EASA aircraft and is recommended for non-EASA aircraft (accidents and serious incidents still need to be reported to the AAIU).
In the European Union, aviation occurrence reporting is a crucial element of maintaining and improving air safety. Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 establishes a comprehensive framework for the reporting, analysis, and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation. This regulation mandates that various aviation professionals, including pilots, air traffic controllers, maintenance personnel, and ground staff, report any event that poses a significant risk to aviation safety. These occurrences can range from technical issues like engine malfunctions and system failures to operational events such as runway incursions, near collisions, and loss of control.
The purpose of this robust reporting system is not to assign blame or liability but to gather essential safety information that can be analysed to identify potential hazards and prevent future accidents and serious incidents. Both mandatory and voluntary reporting systems are in place. Mandatory reporting requires specific individuals and organisations to report defined categories of occurrences within 72 hours. Complementing this, voluntary reporting allows any person to report safety-related concerns they may have, even if they fall outside the mandatory reporting list.
To facilitate this process, each EU Member State and EASA have established mechanisms for collecting, evaluating, processing, analysing, and storing occurrence reports. The European Coordination Centre for Accident and Incident Reporting Systems (ECCAIRS) serves as a central platform for this data. Furthermore, the regulation emphasises the importance of a “Just Culture” within aviation organisations, which encourages the reporting of safety-related events without fear of reprisal, fostering a transparent and proactive approach to safety management.
The reported occurrences are then analysed to identify trends, assess risks, and implement necessary safety actions at national and European levels. This collaborative approach, involving industry stakeholders, national authorities, and EASA, ensures that lessons learned from occurrences are used to continuously enhance aviation safety across the European Union.
New IAA General Aviation Form
Feedback from the General Aviation community indicated that the ECCAIRS system was not user friendly and required the completion of multiple fields not relevant to GA. With this feedback, the IAA have developed a simplified form specifically for GA in Ireland. This form has a much smaller number of fields to be completed and is more user friendly. While the form is best completed on a computer/laptop/tablet, it may be filled on a smartphone (in landscape mode).
To access the new form, visit the ECCAIRS website. Then:
- Click “Report an occurrence without registration”
- Type “Ireland” into the box
- Select whether you are reporting on your own behalf or organisation.
- Click “General Aviation Safety Reporting Form”
- Complete as many fields as possible with as much detail as possible. Relevant photographs can be added to the report.
- Once complete click “Submit” – you will have the choice to add your contact details which will allow feedback (if appropriate) or you can submit the report anonymously.
A 12 step guide with images is available on the IAA website here.
