---
title: "Aircraft Accident Claims"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/aviation-and-maritime-law-en/aircraft-accident-claims-en"
field: "Aviation & Maritime Law"
description: "Aircraft accident claims: classification, search and the preventive purpose of investigation. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-14"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Aircraft Accident Claims

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/aviation-and-maritime-law-en/aircraft-accident-claims-en

## Aviation Occurrence and Its Classification

An aviation occurrence is an accident, serious incident or incident, as well as the failure of an aircraft and/or its system, the failure of systems and technical means used in air navigation service, or another unusual circumstance that affected or could have affected flight safety. An accident is an occurrence connected with the operation of an aircraft, which took place — in the case of a piloted aircraft — from the moment a person boarded with the purpose of flight until all persons left it, if: a person sustains fatal or serious bodily injury as a result of being in the aircraft, direct contact with any part of it, or the direct effect of jet exhaust; the aircraft is damaged or its structure breached so that strength or flight characteristics deteriorate or major repair becomes necessary; or the aircraft is lost without trace. An incident is an occurrence outside this definition which affects or could have affected safety.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/aviation-and-maritime-law-en/aircraft-accident-claims-en

### What is an accident?

An occurrence with fatal or serious injury, structural breach or loss without trace.

### Aircraft in danger?

When the threat cannot be averted by the crew.

### Purpose of investigation?

Prevention, not blame.

### Search?

Declared for a lost aircraft.