How to receive TAIC's media releases

General Information

At An Accident Site

Media Relations

This information will assist news media covering an accident requiring investigation by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC).

 The Commission recognises the important role the news media can play in the aftermath of an accident: conveying the facts, assisting public comprehension, and gathering witnesses. The Commission will assist news media in their work to the extent it is able without frustrating its investigation or compromising its role.

How to receive TAIC's media releases

If you are a member of the news media and wish to be included in TAIC's news media advice e-mail subscription service, please write, e-mail, or fax us with your name and title, name of the publication or network you represent, and full contact details including phone number/s, e-mail, physical and postal address. We will contact you or your organisation to verify details if you are not already known to us.

General Information 

• The Commission is responsible for investigating potentially significant aviation, and rail and marine accidents and incidents within New Zealand with the aim of identifying their causes and so improving safety. The TAIC has broad discretion as to which occurrences it chooses investigates, and it focuses it resources on those occurrences it thinks have the best potential for improving safety. It investigates about 50 a year.
• The TAIC is governed by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission Act and reports to the Minister of Transport.
• The TAIC is not responsible for assigning blame, determining liability, prosecution or exoneration.
• The TAIC is independent of all organisations and has an arm's length relationship with the police, transport operators, regulatory authorities, unions, insurers and any other organisation that may have some involvement in the investigation or in the occurrence under investigation.
• TAIC investigators investigate an accident and report to the Commission, which may hold a public hearing should it see fit. The Commission's legislation requires that before publishing a report, any person whose conduct may be called into question is given the chance to make a submission to the Commission. After analysing the information collected during the investigation, the Commission makes findings as to the causes and contributing factors and identifies safety deficiencies. The Commission then publishes its findings and any safety recommendations. Reports are public documents once completed. It normally takes between four and nine months to publish a report. A particularly complex investigation may take more than 12 months to complete.
• Safety recommendations are made as soon as any significant opportunities to improve safety deficiencies are identified.
• The Commission comprises three members appointed by the Governor-General on recommendation of the Minister of Transport. The Commission employs a Chief Executive, Chief Investigator of Accidents, investigators and support staff. It has offices in Wellington and Christchurch. It also has a panel of assessors and experts to call upon.
• Commission Members are: Hon. Bill Jeffries, Chief Commissioner; Pauline Winter, Deputy Chief Commissioner; Bryan Wyness, Commissioner.
• The Commission is advised by assessors chosen for their extensive experience in each mode of transport. They include: Richard Rayward, Pat Scotter and Nick Marwick, for aviation; Bill Jones and Alan McMaster, for rail; and David McPherson and Keith Ingram, for marine.
• The Chief Executive is Lois Hutchinson, and the Chief Investigator of Accidents is Captain John Mockett.
• The Commission has the powers of a Commission of Inquiry, including the ability to subpoena witnesses, hear evidence under oath, and hold public hearings, as well as powers of entry, inspection and seizure.

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At An Accident Site 

• Emergency services have responsibility for rescue, security of the site, and body recovery.
• The accident site and wreckage is otherwise under the control of the Commission.
• TAIC investigator(s) will inspect the site as soon as practicable, recording the evidence at the scene. Important physical evidence may be moved to workshops or laboratories for detailed examination.
• Witnesses will be sought and interviewed separately from other investigating authorities, such as the police.
• An investigation will cover many areas. For instance, the components of a major aviation accident investigation may include: operations, aircraft performance, air traffic services, airports, weather, witnesses, structures, power plants, systems, maintenance records, flight recorders, survival factors, human performance, and site survey.
• The TAIC investigation team will be headed by an Investigator in Charge (IIC), and a Deputy Investigator in Charge may also be appointed. The team may, in addition to TAIC staff, include accredited representatives, observers, experts and other participants.
• Accredited representatives may come from the transport operator, the manufacturer, or representative of another state with a significant number of passengers involved. Observers to the investigation may also be appointed. Ministers of the Crown, members of the Commission, and assessors may also attend the accident site in an observer capacity; they will not play a role in the on-site investigation.
• The IIC may organise the investigation team into groups, each of which would be assigned a part of the investigation such as outlined three points above.

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Media Relations 

• A TAIC Media Liaison Officer will be appointed for major accidents, and will be the news media's point of contact. He or she will issue regular media briefings, arrange any site visits and news conferences, and receive requests for interviews and other inquiries. Media briefings will be e-mailed or faxed to major or relevant news organisations.
• Normally most of the Commission's staff will not be available for interviews while a major accident investigation is under way, due to the need to establish the cause of the accident as promptly as possible. Interviews with the IIC will be facilitated by the MLO.
• The TAIC's web site www.taic.org.nz provides more background information about the Commission and its work. This web site may provide additional information on any major accident investigation.

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Lois Hutchinson
Chief Executive
2005

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