When an aircraft accident occurs, the state which controls the location of the accident dispatches specialised groups of professionals – the “GO Team” – to the scene. Their primary task is to begin reconstructing, in a neutral and unbiased manner, the sequence of events that ended in the accident. The GO Team will usually include people with qualifications in:
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Cockpit Voice Recorder Analysis (CVR)
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Flight Data Analysis
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Air Traffic Control (ATC)
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Aircraft Structure/Parts
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Aircraft Performance
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Survival Skills
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Human Performance (Human Factors)
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Maintenance
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Meteorology
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Metallurgy
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The combination of professionals dispatched will depend on the nature and location of the accident.
The investigation team may also utilise external consultants, such as those who work for aircraft and parts manufacturers. These subject-matter experts can provide a unique perspective on a hypothesis, or a specific piece of evidence.