Aviation Accident vs Incident: What's the Difference?
If you are exploring aviation safety, you will see the words "accident" and "incident" used almost interchangeably in news reports. In official investigations, however, they have precise meanings.
The ICAO Annex 13 definition
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets the global standard in Annex 13. Most national investigators, including the U.S. NTSB and the U.K. AAIB, follow the same distinction.
An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards with the intention of flight and the time all persons have disembarked, in which:
- a person is fatally or seriously injured,
- the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure, or
- the aircraft is missing or completely inaccessible.
An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operation.
Examples include near-misses on the runway, engine failures that end without injury, loss of separation in flight, or serious maintenance errors discovered before departure.
Why the distinction matters
Accidents trigger full investigations, public final reports, and often safety recommendations. Incidents may be investigated too, but the focus is usually on preventing the next accident rather than explaining a fatal outcome.
For readers, the practical difference is simple: an accident page on BlackBoxWiki describes something that did serious harm; an incident page describes a close call or safety event that could have become one.
Explore the archive
BlackBoxWiki collects concise summaries of both accidents and notable incidents. Each entry gives you the key facts at a glance and links to official reports for the full technical detail.