Army Flight Surgeon -> Incident Investigations?

[DeadCactus]

Heard a random rumor that being FS qualified set you up to inevitably being assigned to spend a month+ doing an incident investigation. Seems reasonably possible. How frequent is this? Is it an AD concern or something you can be struck with as a RC member?

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[StarboardMD]

It's a possibility, and they spend some time talking about it at the (Army) flight surgeon course. I've been a FS for almost 3 years and can only think of one person I've ever known who was on an accident investigation board... I would assume that RC would investigate RC accidents, but I really have no idea. I'm trying to remember, but I think the investigators are chosen from uninvolved units to prevent bias during investigation. Sorry for the vague info...

 

[vellnueve]

At my last duty station our Navy flight surgeon was peripherally involved in an AF accident investigation as well as clearing all the flight crew for duty.

 

[SDN]

Heard a random rumor that being FS qualified set you up to inevitably being assigned to spend a month+ doing an incident investigation. Seems reasonably possible. How frequent is this? Is it an AD concern or something you can be struck with as a RC member?

I got tasked back in 2012 while deployed - took a few weeks. Accident investigation is part of the duty of a FS and actually quite interesting.

RC docs can be tasked only if put on orders and usually only if they're part of the unit or command in which the accident took place. But, in the current budget environment, I'd expect it would be easier to pull a doc from Ft. Rucker or a nearby Regular Army unit to assist rather than try to cut RC orders that fall outside regular AT or deployment.

 

[MaximusD]

I went to the AMIP course at USAFSAM recently, and it was the FIRST course I actually enjoyed taking in the AF (well, maybe I liked AMP 202 - The Flying Part). An nice benefit is that it prepares you for all of the EET BS during MAREs and other military concoctions designed to ruin FS life and shatter any sense of clinic normalcy -- as if CBTs, formations, all-calls, wing runs, etc etc etc didn't already do an effective job already!

That said, the actual SIB would be a great deal of work to say the least. I'm told I'm on a "list" now that is fully spun-up to go on a mishap investigation.

I have been involved in ISBs before. Took up a weekend, but it was actually a pretty novel and interesting experience.

Oh and someone mentioned an AIB. Is there a FS on the AIB as well? I have only been fully briefed on what part I'd play in the safety investigation...