ICAO Annex 19 requires States to run a mandatory occurrence reporting system, and authorities set a deadline for it. Under EU Regulation 376/2014, for example, an organisation must report within 72 hours of becoming aware of the occurrence. Check your own authority's regulations for the exact rules that apply to you.
Why reports get missed
- The occurrence is logged, but nobody decides quickly whether it is mandatory.
- The safety manager is away, and the deadline lives in one person's inbox.
- The report is sent, but nobody records when, so the evidence is missing at audit.
Make the clock visible
The fix is not more procedure. It is making the deadline visible from the moment the occurrence is reported:
- Classify early. Decide on the day whether the occurrence is reportable, using your authority's list.
- Start the clock. When it is marked mandatory, the deadline is set from the time of the occurrence and a task goes to the safety manager.
- Record the submission. Tick when it was reported, by whom, and keep the reference.
- Follow up. Many authorities expect the results of your analysis later. Under 376/2014, preliminary results are due within 30 days and final results within three months.
Keep reporting safe to do
People report when they trust the system. Let staff report by e-mail or on screen, and keep the reporter's name visible only to the safety office. A just culture policy, explained to staff, matters more than any form.
Check yourself
Pick your last five mandatory occurrences. For each one, can you show when you became aware, when you reported, and the reference? If any answer is "I would have to look", the clock is not yet visible.
See how the Aviation QMS sets the MOR deadline and the to-do automatically.