ABSTRACT
In smaller States, or regions with small aviation communities with only a handful of operators and a small number of aircraft movements a day, it is relatively simple to identify crew and operation. In such an environment incident reporting systems are very difficult to sustain, since the most important aspect, “confidentiality”, is missing so individuals who wish to file a report will feel exposed and brandished. Still, the need for a confidential incident reporting system in such a small community is even more acute, since there usually is an increased culture of “cover-up and clam-up”. It should be realised that a confidential incident reporting system is of utmost importance to monitor safety-trends to everyone in civil aviation. Perhaps it will be a pipe-dream to aim for a global confidential incident reporting system, with all its legal, political and financial implications. In small aviation communities it is fairly impossible to retain confidentiality and secure anonymity.
