The Civil Aviation (Investigation of Military Air Accidents at Civil Aerodromes) Regulations 2005

Powers of Inspectors

9.—(1) For the purposes of enabling him to carry out an investigation into an accident to which these Regulations apply in the most efficient way and within the shortest time, an investigating Inspector is hereby authorised to—

(a)have immediate free access to the site of the accident as well as to the aircraft, its contents or wreckage;

(b)ensure an immediate listing of evidence and controlled removal of debris or components for examination or analysis purposes;

(c)have immediate access to and use of the contents of the flight recorders and any other recordings;

(d)have access to the results of examinations of the bodies of victims or of tests made upon samples taken from the bodies of the victims;

(e)have access to the results of examinations of the people involved in the operation of the aircraft or of the tests made on samples taken from such people;

(f)examine witnesses; and

(g)have free access to any relevant information or records held by the owner, the operator or the manufacturer of the aircraft and by the authorities responsible for civil and military aviation or aerodrome operation.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) above an inspecting Investigator shall have power —

(a)by summons under his hand—

(i)to call before him and examine all such persons as he thinks fit;

(ii)to require such persons to answer any question or furnish any information or produce any books, papers, documents and articles which he may consider relevant; and

(iii)to retain any such books, papers, documents and articles until the completion of the investigation;

(b)to take such statements from all such persons as he thinks fit and to require any such person to make and sign a declaration of the truth of the statement made by him;

(c)on production if required of his credentials, to enter and inspect any place, building or aircraft if it appears to him to be necessary for the purposes of the investigation;

(d)on production if required of his credentials, to remove, test, take measures for the preservation of or otherwise deal with any aircraft or any part of such aircraft or anything carried thereon other than an aircraft involved in the accident where it appears to him necessary for the purposes of the investigation; and

(e)to take such measures for the preservation of evidence as he considers appropriate.

(3) Every person summoned by an investigating Inspector under paragraph 2(a) shall be allowed such expenses as the Secretaries of State may determine.