What you will know
Know which occurrences stop the operation immediately, what has to happen before it may resume, what record the analysis produces, and which occurrences are reportable to Transport Canada and to the Transportation Safety Board.
Section 901.49 is short and its first word is the obligation: immediately. It is also the section where the occurrences people assume "do not count" are listed explicitly. CAR 901.49
Before this lesson
- You know that this duty falls on the pilot operating the system, not on the owner. CAR 901.49
- You know whether the operation is under an SFOC — RPAS, because that changes where an occurrence is reported. AIM 3.2.37
How it works
1. Cease immediately, and resume only on two conditions
A pilot shall immediately cease operations if any of the listed incidents or accidents occurs, until such time as an analysis is undertaken as to the cause of the occurrence and corrective actions have been taken to mitigate the risk of recurrence. CAR 901.49
Both halves are conditions. An analysis with no corrective action does not clear the operation, and a corrective action taken without understanding the cause is a guess. Ceasing is immediate; resuming is earned. CAR 901.49
2. The seven occurrences, including the ones that feel minor
| Occurrence | The part people miss |
|---|---|
| Injuries to any person requiring medical attention | — CAR 901.49 |
| Unintended contact between the aircraft and persons | No injury is required CAR 901.49 |
| Unanticipated damage to airframe, control station, payload or command and control links that adversely affects performance or flight characteristics | The damage must affect performance or flight characteristics, not merely exist CAR 901.49 |
| Any time the aircraft is not kept within horizontal boundaries or altitude limits | No damage is required CAR 901.49 |
| Any collision with or risk of collision with another aircraft | The risk counts, not only the collision CAR 901.49 |
| Any time the aircraft becomes uncontrollable, experiences a fly-away, or is missing | Three separate triggers CAR 901.49 |
| Any other incident for which a police report has been filed or a Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report has resulted | The catch-all, keyed to a report CAR 901.49 |
Read the second, fourth and fifth rows together, because they are the same idea three times: this section does not wait for harm. Contact without injury, a boundary excursion without damage, and a risk of collision without a collision all stop the operation. CAR 901.49
3. The analysis becomes a record, kept for 12 months
The pilot shall keep, and make available to the Minister on request, a record of any analyses undertaken under subsection (1) for a period of 12 months after the day the record is created. CAR 901.49
Note whose record this is: the pilot's, and it is separate from the owner's records under section 901.48. Note also that the duty is to keep the analysis, which means the analysis has to be written down. CAR 901.49
4. Under an SFOC there is also a form to file
If an incident or accident occurs while an RPA is being operated under an SFOC — RPAS, it shall be reported to Transport Canada using the RPAS Aviation Occurrence Reporting Form sent with the issuance of the SFOC — RPAS. AIM 3.2.37
That is why the certificate's paperwork matters after the flight as well as before it.
5. Some occurrences also go to the TSB
In addition to the criteria in section 901.49, certain occurrences must be reported to the Transportation Safety Board, including when: an RPA weighing more than 25 kg is involved in an accident as defined by paragraph 2(1)(a) of the TSB Regulations; a person is killed or sustains a serious injury from direct contact with any part of a small RPA (at least 250 g and not more than 25 kg), including detached parts; or a collision occurs between an RPA of any size or weight and a traditional aircraft. AIM 3.2.37
Three separate triggers, and the third has no weight threshold at all. AIM 3.2.37
6. The investigation is not about blame
An aviation safety investigation into an accident or incident exists to prevent a recurrence; it is not to determine or assign blame or liability. The TSB investigates all aviation occurrences in Canada involving civil aircraft, and a team of investigators is on 24-hour standby. AIM 3.2.37
That purpose is worth knowing before something happens, because it is the reason the analysis you are required to write is worth writing honestly. AIM 3.2.37
Quick answers
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| Any of the seven occurrences | Cease operations immediately CAR 901.49 |
| Resuming | Only after an analysis of the cause and corrective action CAR 901.49 |
| The analysis | A record, kept 12 months and available to the Minister on request CAR 901.49 |
| An occurrence under an SFOC | Report to Transport Canada on the form issued with the certificate AIM 3.2.37 |
| RPA over 25 kg in an accident | Reportable to the TSB AIM 3.2.37 |
| Death or serious injury from contact with a small RPA | Reportable to the TSB AIM 3.2.37 |
| Any collision with a traditional aircraft | Reportable to the TSB, whatever the RPA's size AIM 3.2.37 |
Warning "Nobody was hurt and nothing broke" is not a reason to continue. Unintended contact with a person, a breach of your horizontal boundaries or altitude limits, and a risk of collision are three of the listed occurrences on their own — each stops the operation immediately, and each requires an analysis and corrective action before it may resume. CAR 901.49
Where people go wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your aircraft brushed a bystander who was not injured | Unintended contact is a listed occurrence regardless of injury | Cease, analyse, correct CAR 901.49 |
| You flew outside your planned altitude but landed normally | A boundary or altitude excursion is a listed occurrence | Cease and analyse, even without damage CAR 901.49 |
| Another aircraft took avoiding action and there was no collision | The risk of collision is listed | Treat it as an occurrence CAR 901.49 |
| You analysed the cause but changed nothing | Corrective action is a second, separate condition | Take action to mitigate recurrence before resuming CAR 901.49 |
| The Minister asks for the analysis | The pilot keeps it for 12 months | Produce it CAR 901.49 |
| You were flying under an SFOC and had an occurrence | The certificate comes with a reporting form | Report on that form AIM 3.2.37 |
| Your aircraft under 25 kg collided with a manned aircraft | The TSB trigger for collisions has no weight threshold | Report it to the TSB AIM 3.2.37 |
Test yourself
Sources
- CAR 901.49 — Incidents and Accidents — Associated Measures
- — Incidents and Accidents
- Consolidation: CARs current to 2026-09-21