Last week, the Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a proposal to draft legislation to establish the Independent Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (IAAIB). Like that of the U.S. NTSB, the goal of Sri Lanka’s agency will be to “improve aviation safety, prevent possible accidents in the future and to make recommendations for the improvement of aviation services by identifying factors of such incidents.” Aircraft accidents are currently investigated by a unit of the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation Authority, the same agency that regulates aviation in the country.
“It is essential to establish an independent institution to investigate aircraft accidents in each country that are members of the ICAO Convention,” the Cabinet said. As a member of this convention, Sri Lanka has the responsibility to “improve the security of aviation services” by establishing the IAAIB. There was no timeframe given for when the bureau would actually start operating.
According to the 2015 Sri Lanka CAA Report, there were 276 aircraft accidents reported that year. Of these, 258 involved aircraft registered in Sri Lanka and 18 involved foreign-registered aircraft.