Safety Investigations and Root Cause Analysis at Airports

When accidents or incidents occur on the airside or landside of an airport, investigations are typically conducted by airport law enforcement or fire department personnel. Studies supporting previous ACRP research and airport Safety Management System (SMS) gap analyses have found that while investigations generally document the events leading to an incident and its outcomes, they often do not collect the information needed to identify root causes and the human factors contributing to the event. Many airports, particularly those with limited staff and resources, lack practical guidance for conducting effective safety investigations and root cause analyses. The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook for airport operators that outlines the elements and procedures for conducting effective safety investigations and root cause analyses. The research will provide airport leadership with the knowledge and tools needed to investigate safety incidents, identify hazards, determine root causes and human factors, and improve airport safety management. The guidebook will draw upon investigation practices used by organizations such as the NTSB, FAA, law enforcement, the military safety centers, and airports with mature Safety Management Systems, while providing a methodology that airports with limited staff can implement. The research should complement existing Safety Management System guidance and build upon previous work in that area rather than duplicate it.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6106
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $300,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 04-41

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Managing Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Griffin, Matthew

• Start Date: 20260831
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Airport Cooperative Research Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airports; Aviation safety; Follow up investigation; Human factors; Incident management; Safety management
• Identifier Terms: Safety Management Systems
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02001724
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 04-41
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 3 2026 8:25AM