Catalogue description Civil Air Accidents

The EW file designations seem to have come in to use in the Branch after the Second World War.

The Accidents Investigation Branch was created in 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. In 1918 a Department of Civil Aviation was set up in the Air Ministry to which the Inspector of Accidents was attached, concerned with both civil and military air accidents. In 1919 an international air navigation convention was drawn up in Paris, to which the UK was a signatory, and in accordance with terms of the convention the Air Navigation Act 1920 s 12 made provision for the investigation of accidents, and for the issue by the Secretary of State of Rules covering investigations. The first Rules were issued as SR and O 1922 No 650. In 1946 the Accidents Investigation Branch became part of the new Ministry of Civil Aviation (which was amalgamated with the Ministry of Transport in 1953 to form the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation). It continued to assist the Royal Air Force with technical aspects of accident investigations. In 1959 the work of the branch was transferred to a new Ministry of Aviation and then in 1966 to the Board of Trade, which was renamed the Department of Trade and Industry in 1970 and (temporarily) the Department of Trade in 1974.

On the re-amalgamation of the Departments of Trade and Industry in 1983 the branch was transferred to the Department of Transport. In November 1987 its name was changed to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). Since 1997 the Branch has come under the control of the ministries from time to time responsible for Transport.

AAIB's main task is to investigate all accidents to civil aircraft in the UK in order to determine the circumstances and causes with a view to the prevention of similar accidents in the future. As well as having this responsibility, AAIB may also participate in overseas investigations when a British-registered or British-manufactured aircraft is involved, and they participate in the investigation of accidents to military aircraft at the request of the Ministry of Defence. In addition, AAIB receives many requests for assistance from foreign countries.