Dubrovnik, 19 May 2026 — The 64th meeting of the ECAC Group of Experts on Air Accident and Incident Investigation (ACC) was held in Dubrovnik, bringing together more than 60 representatives from European safety investigation authorities, as well as industry and international partners, to exchange experience and discuss recent developments in accident investigation and aviation safety.
The meeting was hosted by the Croatian Safety Investigation Authority.
Participants reviewed accident and serious incident trends reported by ACC Member States for 2025, alongside updates from IATA, EUROCONTROL and industry on emerging safety challenges and operational trends. They also shared information on recent and ongoing investigations, including helicopter accidents in France and Norway, with discussions highlighting the interaction between technical failures, operational pressures and organisational factors in accident causation.
A particular focus of this year’s meeting was human factors in demanding operational contexts, examined from the perspective of pilots, investigators, industry stakeholders and training specialists. Discussions covered issues including workload, fatigue, decision-making and training, reinforcing the understanding that human performance is shaped not only by actions in the cockpit, but also by organisational culture, procedures, training environments and wider operational conditions. Presentations and discussions underlined the importance of cooperation between investigators, operators and manufacturers in strengthening aviation safety and supporting a systems-based approach to accident prevention.
The meeting also included updates on ECAC activities, and developments from EASA, ICAO, ESASI/ISASI and other international fora.