States have a responsibility to ensure the safe conduct of aviation activities within their territory and airspace, as well as the safe operation of aircraft registered by them when operating outside their national boundaries. This responsibility includes the operation and maintenance of national reporting systems for accidents and incidents collectively referred to as “occurrences”.
Applicable ICAO Standards
Contracting States of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have agreed in Annex 13, Aircraft Accident Investigation, to the Chicago Convention that States shall investigate all accidents to aircraft within their territorial limits, and “…shall report to ICAO information on all aircraft accidents which involve aircraft of a maximum certificated take-off mass of over 2 250 kg”.