IFALPA issues statement on the accident of TransAsia Flight GE235

MONTREAL, Canada – The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) would like to express its most sincere condolences to the families of the passengers and crew of TransAsia flight GE235 who lost their loved ones in today’s accident in Taipei. Our hopes and best wishes of recovery are with all who survived this tragedy.

In order to learn from such event and prevent any repetition, IFALPA stresses the need for the technical investigation into the circumstances of this accident to be conducted according to the following principles:

• Such investigation should strictly follow the provisions laid out in ICAO Annex 13. Its objective should be to find the accident’s contributing factors and make the necessary safety recommendations.

• It should not be impeded by administrative or judicial proceedings, whose only purpose is to apportion blame or liability.

• Accident investigators should have unhampered access to all evidential material where and whenever available, including the wreckage, flight recorders and ATS records, and unrestricted control over it to ensure that a detailed examination can be made without delay by the relevant safety experts.

• Whilst the investigation is taking place, with the gathering, recording and analysis of all relevant information including statements from witnesses, there should be no disclosure of the accident’s details, data or records, in order to avoid misinterpretation of the events that occurred, and early conclusions.

Indeed, the premature publication of information related to the accident can compromise flight safety if such information lacks the context of the entire body of factual investigative data. Moreover, none of the accident records should be made available for purposes other than accident or incident investigation.

IFALPA’s experts on accident investigation and their operational knowledge of the ATR-72 aircraft are at the disposal of the Republic of China’s Aviation Safety Council and any other investigation agency officially involved for advice or consultation during both the investigation process and the drafting of the accident report and related safety recommendations.

IFALPA will closely monitor the investigation to ensure that it is conducted in accordance with the above principles and that all efforts are made to prevent the reoccurrence of such a tragic event.