Which of the following is NOT typically reviewed as a data source in an AMIC 26-F mishap investigation?

• A. Passenger medical records
• B. Flight data recorder data
• C. Cockpit voice recorder data
• D. Maintenance logs

Answer: (A)

In this kind of investigation, the focus is on data that shed light on the aircraft’s performance, crew actions, and the maintenance history that could influence safety. Flight data recorder data provides exact numerical information on the aircraft’s behavior—airspeed, altitude, control inputs, sensor readings—so investigators can reconstruct the flight path and system states. Cockpit voice recorder data captures the crew’s conversations, warnings, and decision-making, offering insight into human factors and operational decisions during critical moments. Maintenance logs and records help determine airworthiness, recent repairs, and conformity with maintenance schedules and service bulletins, which can reveal mechanical or maintenance-related causes.

Passenger medical records, by contrast, do not directly illuminate the aircraft’s safety or the sequence of the mishap. They are typically protected for privacy reasons and are not relevant to the technical or operational factors investigators analyze. They would not normally contribute to identifying a cause or contributing factors, though in rare cases broader medical considerations about crew fitness might be examined, those concerns would involve crew medical information rather than passenger records.