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Air accident investigator
Air accident engineering inspector, air accident operations inspector, Inspector of air accidents
Air accident investigators search for the causes of accidents and serious incidents, involving civilian aircraft.
Average salary (a year)
£72500.0
Starter
£82000.0
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
37.0 to 45.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings / weekends / bank holidays
on call
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You can get into this job through:a university course; applying directly
University
You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in engineering or a related subject. Courses include
aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineering, electrical or electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics
aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineering, electrical or electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics
You may be able to do a postgraduate course in safety and accident investigation, which covers air transport.
Some investigator roles look at the part played by human factors in an incident, and a degree and postgraduate qualification in psychology would be useful for these.
As well as a university qualification, you'll need several years experience of working in aircraft engineering.
A pilot's licence may also be required for some jobs, like an air accident operations inspector.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
Direct Application
You can apply directly to become an air accident investigator.
If you want to work as an operations inspector, managing an accident response team, you’ll need a pilot’s licence and flying experience.
To be an engineering investigator or flight data recorder inspector, you’ll need a relevant degree or postgraduate qualification and several years’ recent experience in aerospace engineering.
You can also take short courses in accident investigation techniques, which may help broaden your knowledge of the role and skills required.
More Information
Further Information
You can find out more about how to become an investigator from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
To be thorough and pay attention to detail
Knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
Knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
The ability to use your initiative
Analytical thinking skills
Excellent verbal communication skills
Persistence and determination
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
Related Restrictions
Day to day tasks
Depending on your role you could
co-ordinate a team to respond to an incident, gather and record evidence to build a picture of what happened, speak sensitively and tactfully with victims, witnesses and bereaved relatives, reassemble or dismantle wreckage to look for clues, recover data from flight recorders and instruments, use drones to survey accident sites, piece together events that led to an accident, manage the different stages of an investigation, update relatives on progress, especially in fatal accidents, write accident reports, make safety recommendations to regulators and the industry, act as an expert witness at inquests and official inquiries
co-ordinate a team to respond to an incident, gather and record evidence to build a picture of what happened, speak sensitively and tactfully with victims, witnesses and bereaved relatives, reassemble or dismantle wreckage to look for clues, recover data from flight recorders and instruments, use drones to survey accident sites, piece together events that led to an accident, manage the different stages of an investigation, update relatives on progress, especially in fatal accidents, write accident reports, make safety recommendations to regulators and the industry, act as an expert witness at inquests and official inquiries
Working environment
You could work in remote rural areas, in an aircraft hangar, in a laboratory or in an office.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.
If you work as an engineering or flight data recorder investigator, you could become an operations director, co-ordinating the investigation process. You could also progress to chief accident inspector.
You could use your experience to work as a consultant with aerospace manufacturers, safety regulators or aviation industry insurance companies.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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