The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (French: Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile, BEA) is an agency of the French government, responsible for investigating aviation accidents and incidents and making safety recommendations based on what is learned from those investigations.
The BEA was created in 1946.[1] It operates under, amongst other texts, the French civil aviation and transports codes.[3]
Following international rules, French authorities are responsible for investigating all aircraft accidents occurring in French territory or airspace, as well as accidents involving French aircraft occurring in international airspace or in other countries if the local authorities do not open a technical enquiry. They may also assist foreign investigation authorities at their request;[4] in particular, BEA technical assistance is often sought by nations that do not wish to engage with the American FAA for political reasons.[citation needed] They are also the investigating party for all Airbus aircraft.[5]
It is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds of Paris–Le Bourget AirportinLe Bourget, near Paris.[8][9] The BEA building is located in front of the French Air and Space Museum and houses offices and laboratories.[10] The BEA building at Le Bourget has over 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft) of space; it had been expanded to that amount in 2002,[10] and to 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) by 1999. Previously the building had 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft) of space.[11]
In addition the BEA has facilities at Melun Aerodrome. They include hangars and protected areas with a combined total of 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) of space.[11] The BEA also has hangars and protected areas in Bonneuil-sur-Marne. The BEA has satellite offices in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Rennes, and Toulouse.[12]
At one time the head office of the Bureau d'Enquêtes-Accidents (as it was known before 2001, and is still frequently if loosely referred to) was in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.[13][14][15]
^ ab"Who are we?Archived 2 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine" Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile. Retrieved on 8 June 2009.
^"Plan d’accès au BEA." (Archive) Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010.
^"header_logo_et_coord.gifArchived 13 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010. "Bâtiment 153 10 rue de Paris Zone Sud Aéroport du Bourget 93352 Le Bourget cedex"
^ ab"Qui sommes-nous?" () Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. 18 February 2003. Retrieved on 5 May 2011. "Les bureaux et laboratoires du BEA sont situés sur le site de l'aéroport du Bourget, en face du Musée de l'Air. Cet ensemble de 3 000 m² est en cours d'aménagement pour faire face aux nouveaux besoins en salles de travail et ateliers. La surface disponible passera à 5 000 m² en 2002. Le BEA dispose aussi sur l'aérodrome de Melun de 6 000 m² de hangars et d'espaces protégés."
^ ab"Who are we?" () Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 5 May 2011. "The BEA's offices and technical services are located in the Paris Region at La Bourget Airport. The building currently in use has 1000 m² and is being extended so as to meet future needs in terms of offices and workshops. In 1999 the space available will exceed 3000 m². The BEA also has 6000 m² of hangars and protected areas at its disposal at Melun aerodrome."
^"Qui sommes-nous?" () Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. 13 October 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2011. "Le BEA dispose aussi de hangars et d'espaces protégés sur l'aérodrome de Melun ainsi qu'à Bonneuil-sur-Marne. Le BEA possède des antennes à Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes et Aix-en-Provence."
^"f-gk820317.pdf." (Archive) Original report by the Civil Aviation & Meteorology Authority, Yemen Arab Republic, distributed by the Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents. Retrieved on 18 April 2012. "246, rue Lecourbe 75732 PARIS – France"
