How do you distinguish between an incident and an accident?

• A. An incident is an event with no or minor damage or injury; an accident involves serious damage or injury or loss of life.
• B. An incident always results in fatalities.
• C. An accident is always minor and unreported.
• D. An incident occurs only on the ground.

Answer: (A)

Severity and consequences determine whether an event is classified as an incident or an accident. An incident is a safety event that doesn’t meet accident criteria, typically involving no or only minor damage and no serious injuries. An accident involves substantial damage to the aircraft, serious injuries, or loss of life.

For example, a minor gear issue that causes a precautionary landing with no injuries is an incident, while a fire on board that results in serious injuries or fatalities is an accident. The other ideas don’t fit because fatalities aren’t required for an accident, accidents aren’t defined as always minor, and incidents aren’t limited to events on the ground.