Technical documentation Accident investigations

The accident investigation report is written using the principles of technical documentation. Items 1-4 are objective and should not include the authors opinions. Items 5-7 appropriately contain the opinions of the authors (investigation team). This technical style allows readers to develop their own independent conclusions and recommendations. As a result of these criteria, the accident investigation report is a learning tool, which is the major purpose of the investigation. 

All recommendations should be decided upon in a sound, rational, technical manner when all alternatives have been identified and studied. If such documentation is not prepared, future possible accident investigations may query legal implications. 

The Cycle of Technical Documentation depicted in this chapter allows us to identify predictable moments when individuals have the opportunity tc> create new knowledge within large regulatory agencies when investigators capture miners narratives to determine the cause of the accident when ana-... 

Most accident analyses stop at this point, particularly in that era. To their credit, however, the investigation continued and looked at why the technical deficiencies existed, that is, the management and systemic factors involved in the loss. They found deficient specifications, deficient shipbuilding practices, deficient maintenance practices, inadequate documentation of construction and maintenance actions, and deficient operational procedures. With respect to documentation, there appeared to be incomplete or no records of the work that had been done on the submarine and the critical materials and processes used. 

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