The system for major glider accident investigation was changed two or three years ago. There are now three kinds of accident investigation.
As I understand it, fatal or very serious non-fatal accidents are now investigated by the AAIB, and the AAIB reports are filed by them and are accessible via their website. (Previously, some of them were handled by BGA accident investigators, under delegation from the AAIB. In order to maintain consistent handling, and satisfy coroners that the same degree of professionalism was applicable with gliding fatalities as with GA accidents, that delegation stopped. The AAIB teams today will however often have a gliding specialist to assist them if they deem it necessary or helpful.)
If it is not sufficiently serious for the AAIB to wish to be involved, there is a BGA accident investigation team which looks at the initial report from a club, and decides whether to do their own investigation or leave it to the club safety officer etc. I believe only a small percentage of such accidents are now investigated by the BGA accident investigators.
The vast majority of minor accidents are reported by clubs to the BGA using a standardised form, augmented by various witness statements etc. Just as the AAIB does not publish individual witness statements, only the resulting report after they have completed their investigation and summarise what they choose to make public, the BGA does not make public the individual witness statements etc. from these minor accidents, nor the personal details which are revealed on the accident report forms. All these details are seen only by those who need to see them.
Summaries of all accidents are published in Sailplane and Gliding.
As I understand it, the accident summaries visible via the AAIB website (Oversteer’s reference) include all, and are more detailed than those published in Sailplane and Gliding. I believe they are summarised by one of the BGA people for that purpose.
Chris N.
(Edited to add last paragraph)
Last edited by chrisN; 17th February 2009 at 11:19.