Headquarters Le Bourget Website bea.aero/en/ | Agency executive Jean-Paul Troadec | |
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Jurisdiction French territory and French aircraft | ||
The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, the BEA (the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety; French: Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile) 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.
Its headquarters are at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in Le Bourget, near Paris. The BEA has 120 employees, including 30 investigators and 12 investigative assistants. It is under the authority of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing.
The BEA was created in 1946. It operates under Articles R711-1 et seq. and L711-1 et seq. of the French civil aviation code.
Following international rules, French authorities are competent for all aircraft accidents occurring in French territory or airspace, as well as accidents involving French aircraft occurring in international space or in other countries if the local authorities do not open a technical enquiry. They may also assist foreign investigation authorities at their request.
Since 17 December 2001, the head of the BEA has been Paul-Louis Arslanian, engineer general of the Roads and Bridges (formerly engineer general of civil aviation); he was reappointed to this position in 2008.
Facilities
It is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds of Paris - Le Bourget Airport in Le Bourget, near Paris. The BEA building is located in front of the French Air and Space Museum and houses offices and laboratories. 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, 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.
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. 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.
At one time the head office of the Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents (as it used to be known, and is still frequently if loosely referred to) was in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.