Originally Posted by
lifter123
Is there anyone on here who knows anything about working in aviation accident investigation?
Are you able to be certified and work free-lance? Also, how does one go about becoming an investigator? I've only found two programs, one at ERAU and one at Central Missouri.
I've been toying around with the idea of going to grad school, and this type of education really interests me, plus it would look good to potential employers and improve your aviation knowledge.
Thanks
ERAU's graduate program is not as finely tuned toward accident investigations as you might think. I know, I gave it a half hearted shot. I took the undergraduate program with Bill Waldock. It was AWESOME. They have a crash lab in AZ and it is a fine training from an experienced individual. He has even taught seminars and classes for FAA folks.
The problem with the program is that the Graduate level qualified instructors do NOT have experience in the field of aircraft accident investigation. I became heavily discouraged in my program when I talked to my guidance counselor (a graduate level instructor) about two classes in particular. Aircraft Accident Analysis and Accident Investigation. He asked me if I took the undergraduate level class. When I told him yes, he said I really didn't need to take the Graduate level courses and that Bill's class pretty much exceeded those courses in depth.
The outline the guidance counselor gave me was intended to give a broader education on industrial health and hygiene, and essentially educate on OSHA regulations.
This is not to say you cannot build a heavily aviation related program, or that it is a bad program. You can build a heavily aviation safety program. What I deduced from the program, however, was the experience was not really with accident and aviation safety. It was in the Occupational Health and Safety professionals and Industrial Hygiene. The vast majority of the students either became the same or were destined for it. NOT ALL, but most. Very few professional pilots are in the program. Personally, I simply was not interested in half the classes.
I looked at the people actually doing the job of accident investigation. Like rickair said, a lot of these people are engineers or experienced in aviation in other ways or just experienced pilots.
My suggestion, especially for a graduate level student, is to look deeply at the catalog, read the course descriptions. That’s how you will really know what you are being taught. Ask what the instructors backgrounds are. Do your research.
http://www.erau.edu/pr/degrees/ma-sa...ience.html#req
http://www.erau.edu/degrees/catalog.html
In the Safety Science program, you will learn to give companies safety management expertise, leadership, and guidance about compliance with federal safety regulations and state health, hygiene, and workplace standards. You will be prepared to serve government agencies, the military, aircraft manufacturers, air carriers, insurance companies, and other aviation-related organizations for which safety and accident prevention is essential.
Graduates of our Safety Science degree are qualified to work as directors of safety for airlines, operational and maintenance safety personnel, aviation industry ground and industrial safety personnel, flight safety personnel, aircraft accident investigators, designers, and manufacturing advisers.
Students who enter the program have completed undergraduate course work in mathematics, computer applications, behavioral science, and statistics.