PAM 385-40 — Army Mishap Investigations And Reporting
PAM 385-40 governs the investigation process and reporting of Army mishaps through standardized instructions and procedures.
- Publication number: PAM 385-40
- Title: ARMY MISHAP INVESTIGATIONS AND REPORTING
- Date: 07/24/2023
- Proponent: DAS
- Status: ACTIVE
View PAM 385-40 on armypubs.army.mil
Related publications
PAM 385-40 covers four phases of Army mishap investigations, from Safety Investigation Board organization and site examination through analysis and report completion. It addresses human, materiel, and environmental factors, and requires findings, recommendations, and mishap reports to follow specified procedures.
Applies to: The techniques described in this pamphlet apply to all mishap investigations.
Topics covered
- Safety Investigation Board organization and training
- Mishap site examination and data collection
- Mishap analysis methods
- Human error and system inadequacies
- Materiel failures and malfunctions
- Environmental factors
- Personnel background reports
- Materiel factors reports
Questions and answers
What priority do Safety Investigation Board members give to mishap investigations?
SIB members give priority to the mishap investigation, over all other duties, to ensure prompt completion of the investigation and publishing of the mishap report. (paragraph 2-1)
When is the Safety Investigation Board fully in place?
A fully assembled, trained, and resourced SIB is in place at the end of Phase I. (paragraph 2-1)
What must the final phase of a mishap investigation include?
The final phase of the mishap investigation requires the SIB to record its observations, analysis, findings, and recommendations and complete the mishap report according to the requirements of The Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS) 2.0. (paragraph 5-1)
How should Personnel Background and Materiel Factors reports be written?
Write both reports using complete sentences in a paragraph format; each report should be at least one paragraph long. (paragraph 5-2)
What damage must be identified in the materiel factors report?
Identify and discuss damage resulting from pre-mishap materiel failure/malfunctions and omit damage that resulted from crash/impact forces exceeding design limits. (paragraph 5-2)