The two main purposes of mishap investigations are to initiate corrective action that will prevent future similar mishaps and to what else?

• A. Improve operational readiness by reducing unplanned losses due to mishaps.
• B. Assign blame to individuals.
• C. Increase training budgets.
• D. Document the incident without corrective actions.

Answer: (A)

Mishap investigations aim to prevent recurrence while keeping the unit ready for operations. The second, essential purpose is to improve operational readiness by reducing unplanned losses due to mishaps. Investigators look beyond who was at fault and focus on root causes, contributing factors, and control failures—then implement corrective actions to stop similar events from occurring. This keeps equipment available, reduces downtime, and maintains mission capability.

The other options don’t fit the same aim: assigning blame is not the focus of these investigations; increasing training budgets is not a direct objective of the investigation itself; and simply documenting the incident without corrective actions fails to improve readiness or prevent future mishaps.