How is an incident different from an accident in aviation safety reporting?

• A. An incident is an event with potential for harm or a safety breach; an accident involves actual damage, injury, or loss.
• B. An incident involves only weather events; an accident is equipment failure.
• C. An incident always results in injury; an accident does not.
• D. They are synonyms.

Answer: (A)

In aviation safety reporting, the difference rests on potential harm versus actual harm. An incident is any event where safety could have been compromised or a safety procedure wasn’t followed, but no actual damage, injury, or loss occurred. It signals a vulnerability and prompts investigation to prevent a real problem from materializing. An accident, on the other hand, is when an event results in damage to the aircraft or property, injury or fatality, or some other tangible loss. So, incidents capture near-misses and deviations to fix underlying issues before harm happens, while accidents document confirmed harm and usually trigger a formal investigation. For example, a taxiway incursion that is narrowly avoided is an incident; a hard landing that damages the aircraft or causes injuries is an accident.