What is the difference between a technical finding and a causal finding?

• A. They are the same.
• B. A technical finding describes what was detected; a causal finding explains why it contributed to the mishap.
• C. A technical finding explains why it happened.
• D. A causal finding describes data detected.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to separate what the investigation actually found from why it mattered to the accident. A technical finding records the evidence or measurements observed during the investigation—what was detected or the condition of a part or system. A causal finding explains why that observation contributed to the mishap—how the detected condition affected performance, led to sequence of events, or interacted with other factors to cause the outcome. So technical findings are about description and data; causal findings are about cause and effect. For example, noting a fatigue crack in a critical component is a technical finding, while identifying that repeated overloading and improper maintenance allowed that crack to grow and contribute to the failure is a causal finding. The other options mix these roles or mistake one for the other, which is why they don’t fit.