---
title: "Aviation occurrence reporting checklist and record (Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 and Regulations: immediately and routine reportable matters)"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/aviation-drones-and-space/aviation-occurrence-reporting-checklist-and-record"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a60-aviation-occurrence-reporting-checklist-and-record"
area_id: "A60"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "red"
version: 1
task_ids: ["A60-N20261018-6"]
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-18"
---

# Aviation occurrence reporting checklist and record (Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 and Regulations: immediately and routine reportable matters)

> Record for an operator or its lawyer after an aviation accident or incident: operation category A to D, immediately reportable (phone as soon as practicable, written report in 72 hours) or routine reportable (written…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/aviation-drones-and-space/aviation-occurrence-reporting-checklist-and-record  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-18

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

Record for an operator or its lawyer after an aviation accident or incident: operation category A to D, immediately reportable (phone as soon as practicable, written report in 72 hours) or routine reportable (written report in 72 hours), who reports, and legal steps.

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [Aviation, Drones & Space](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/aviation-drones-and-space.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia, Commonwealth
- AI level: Red. Keep AI out of the decisive steps. A lawyer does the work.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-18
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-18 against the 2 authorities it cites, for Australia and Commonwealth.

## When to use it

Use as soon as a client operator, aerodrome, maintenance organisation or drone operator tells you about an accident, serious incident or other safety occurrence. The reporting duty runs from when a responsible person has knowledge, so work through Part A at once. Rail and marine occurrences are reported through ONRSR and AMSA instead.

## Used for these tasks

- [Advise on reporting and handling an aviation occurrence](https://ailawframework.com/practice/aviation-drones-and-space.md#A60-N20261018-6)

## How AI may be used

The lawyer and the operator’s safety manager decide what is reportable, who reports and what is said; AI may only organise the facts already gathered into the record and track times, and writes nothing that goes into a report, statement or advice.

**AI may:**

- Organise the times, aircraft, crew and location details already gathered into Part A of the record, with sources
- Track the deadlines from the time of knowledge and flag when the 72-hour written report is due
- Index documents preserved after the occurrence (flight data, maintenance records, communications) for the lawyer

**AI must not:**

- Must not classify the occurrence as immediately reportable, routine reportable or not reportable
- Must not draft the telephone notification, the written report, any statement to the ATSB or CASA, or any media or customer message
- Must not process crew statements, recordings or flight data outside an approved, access-controlled environment

**The lawyer checks:**

- The operation category and the type of occurrence have been matched to the Regulations and the ATSB tables by the operator’s safety manager and the lawyer
- An immediately reportable matter has been telephoned to the ATSB as soon as reasonably practicable, and the written report is lodged within 72 hours
- The record shows which responsible person reported, or why others reasonably believed it had been reported
- Other duties have been considered: CASA reporting, insurers, contract and lease notices, workplace health and safety regulators, and evidence preservation

## Authorities

- [Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (Cth) (responsible persons with knowledge of an immediately reportable matter must report it as soon as reasonably practicable), as explained in ATSB, Mandatory occurrence reporting](https://www.atsb.gov.au/mandatory-occurrence-reporting)
- [Transport Safety Investigation Regulations 2021 (Cth), as explained in ATSB, Aviation reporting requirements (Categories A to D of aircraft operations; immediately reportable matters by telephone as soon as reasonably practicable and a written report within 72 hours; routine reportable matters by written report within 72 hours; responsible persons)](https://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation-reporting-requirements)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/aviation-drones-and-space/aviation-occurrence-reporting-checklist-and-record and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*