Chapter 1

General

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Note- Except as specified in ECAR wreckage of aircraft should be left undisturbed until the arrival of the Investigator‑in‑Charge of the accident investigation. Detailed guidance on the initial action at the scene of the accident, preservation of the evidence, etc., may be found in the Manual of Aircraft Accident Investigation (Doc. 6920).

1. 1. 1 Aircraft may become immobilised on an airport for a variety of reasons ranging from incidents, such as a burst tire or an aircraft running off a runway or taxiway, to major accidents involving partial or complete disintegration of the aircraft. In the past, the equipment and organisation required to deal with any of these incidents have not been extensive, but in recent years aircraft have increased in size and mass, greatly increasing the difficulty of the task. Whereas it was once possible to remove an aircraft in a matter of hours, removal of a large aircraft after an accident or incident may now take much longer.

1. 1.2 If the disabled aircraft is on a part of an airport where it interferes with the movement of other aircraft, expeditious removal is important to the travelling public, to other operators and to the airport authority as well as to the registered owner or operator concerned. Since lifting and removing a disabled aircraft is a complex and potentially dangerous task, it will not always be possible for the airport to be cleared as quickly as the airport authority would wish, particularly as any further damage to the aircraft during its removal should be avoided as far as possible

1.2 RESPONSIBILITIES

1.2.1 Large aircraft. The control of the actual lifting and removal of a large aircraft shall be the responsibility of the registered owner or operator concerned, which will seek advice where necessary from the insurance representative, the aircraft manufacturer, a local airline or a contractor. The airport authority may not possess the knowledge or experience needed to ensure that the lifting and removal are effected as speedily as is consistent with safety to the personnel concerned and with the avoidance of further damage to the aircraft. However, if the registered owner or operator cannot remove the aircraft or is dilatory in doing so, the airport management should have authority to act for the owner or operator with minimum delay. To ensure that secondary damage does not occur, it is important that such authoritative provisions do not imply that other than proper recovery procedures may be used for removal of disabled aircraft.

1.2.2 Small aircraft. With small aircraft the task will often be much simpler and it may be possible for the airport authority, with the agreement of the registered owner or operator concerned, to undertake the removal of the aircraft.

1.2.3 Apart from this immediate responsibility in each case, a considerable responsibility falls on both airport authority and aircraft owner or operator if the task of removal is to be started and completed as quickly as possible. An efficient recovery operation requires adequate planning before an accident occurs, as well as the availability of the right equipment. The manner in which these responsibilities are shared between the airport and the owner or operator varies from one airport to another according to local circumstances