Determining the true cause of a helicopter, jet plane or airplane accident or crash is difficult. The National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) is the federal agency in charge of investigating the cause of an aviation accident. NTSB representatives quickly arrive at the scene of every airplane or helicopter accident in an effort to determine the cause thereof. Representatives of the aircraft manufacturer, carrier, and component part companies usually arrive at the scene as well in order to obtain evidence in which to mount a defense. It is critical for an injured victim or relative to hire an aviation law firm as quickly as possible in order to investigate the cause of an aviation accident. Besides the NTSB and FAA, depending on the location and circumstances of an aviation accident, other agencies may be involved in an airplane crash investigation, including, but not limited to, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Department of Defense (“DOD”), Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Department of State (“DOS”) and state and foreign investigative authorities. Victim relief agencies such as the American Red Cross, Department of Health and Human Services (“HSS”) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) may lend support to those affected by an aviation disaster. While the NTSB issues a report on probable cause, generally, the cause determinations found in these reports are not admissible in evidence at trial. In re Air Crash Disaster at Sioux City, Iowa, on July 19, 1989, 780 F.Supp. 1207 (N.D.Ill. 1991).

When the NTSB is notified of a major accident, it launches a “Go Team,” which varies in size depending on the severity of the accident and the complexity of the issues involved. The Go Team may consist of experts in as many as fourteen different specialties, coordinated by the investigator-in-charge. Each expert manages a group of other specialists from government agencies and industry in collecting the facts and determining the conditions and circumstances surrounding the accident. The investigative groups formed vary, depending on the nature of the accident, and may look into areas such as structures, systems, power plants, human performance, fire and explosion, meteorology, radar data, event recorders, and witness statements. After an investigation is completed, a detailed narrative report is prepared that analyzes the investigative record and identifies the probable cause of the accident.