> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run Your First Investigation

> Open an investigation from a safety report, assign an investigator, document findings, perform root cause analysis, and recommend actions.

By the end of this tutorial, you will have opened an investigation from a safety report, assigned an investigator, documented findings with root cause analysis, and recommended Corrective and Preventive Actions (CPAs).

<Info>
  **Who should do this tutorial?** Safety Managers and investigators who are responsible for
  analyzing safety reports. You will need Safety Manager or Admin permissions to create and manage
  investigations.
</Info>

## Before you start

Make sure you have:

* An active PlaneConnection account with **Safety Manager** or **Admin** role
* At least one submitted safety report in your workspace (see [Submit Your First Safety Report](/en/tutorials/first-safety-report) if you need to create one)
* Familiarity with the SMS module navigation (see the [Quickstart](/en/tutorials/quickstart))

## Running the investigation

<Steps>
  ### Open an investigation from a report

  1. In the Safety module sidebar, click **Reports**.
  2. Find the report you want to investigate. Click on it to open the report detail page.
  3. On the report detail page, look for the **Open Investigation** button. Click it.

  You should see a new investigation detail page. Notice the auto-generated investigation number (e.g., INV-2026-00015) and the status of **New**. This page is your workspace for the entire investigation.

  ### Assign an investigator

  1. On the investigation detail page, find the **Investigator** field.
  2. Click the field and select an investigator from the list of workspace members. The list shows users with Safety Manager or Admin roles.
  3. Save the assignment.

  You should see a notification indicator confirming the investigator has been assigned.

  <Note>
    The investigator should not be someone directly involved in the reported event. Per 14 CFR 5.73,
    investigations should assess safety performance without bias.
  </Note>

  ### Document the investigation summary

  1. In the **Summary** section, describe what is being investigated, the scope, and the methodology (interviews, document review, data analysis, site inspection).
  2. Click **Save**.

  You should see the summary text appear in the investigation record.

  ### Add findings

  1. Scroll to the **Findings** section of the investigation page.
  2. Click **Add Finding**.
  3. Enter a factual **Description** (for example: "The pre-departure checklist did not include a step for verifying ground power disconnection").
  4. Select a **Category** (Procedural, Training, Equipment, Environmental, Human Factors, or Organizational).
  5. Repeat for each finding.

  You should see each finding appear in the findings list with its category badge.

  <Tip>
    Write findings as objective statements of fact, not opinions. A good finding: "The crew did not
    receive recurrent training on the icing SOP in the past 14 months."
  </Tip>

  ### Perform root cause analysis

  1. Navigate to the **Root Cause Analysis** section within the investigation.
  2. Enter the **Contributing factors**, **Root cause(s)**, and **Analysis method** (for example, 5 Whys, Bow-Tie Analysis, or HFACS).
  3. Click **Save**.

  You should see the RCA section populated with your analysis.

  <Note>
    For guidance on root cause analysis methods, see [Conduct a Root Cause
    Analysis](/en/how-to/sms/conduct-rca).
  </Note>

  ### Recommend Corrective and Preventive Actions

  1. Scroll to the **Recommendations** section of the investigation.
  2. Click **Add Recommendation**.
  3. Enter a **Title** (for example: "Update pre-departure checklist to include ground power verification step").
  4. Enter a **Description** of what needs to happen.
  5. Select **Corrective** or **Preventive** as the type.
  6. Set the **Priority** (High, Medium, or Low).
  7. Repeat for additional recommendations.

  You should see each recommendation listed with its type and priority badges.

  <Tip>
    Make recommendations specific and time-bound. Instead of "Improve training," write "Deliver
    recurrent icing SOP training to all Part 135 pilots by Q2 2026."
  </Tip>

  ### Submit for review

  1. At the top of the investigation page, change the status to **Review**.
  2. Click **Save**.

  You should see the investigation status change to **Review**. Your reviewers will be notified and can approve the investigation, request revisions, or create CPAs from the recommendations.
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Conduct Your First Risk Assessment" href="/tutorials/first-risk-assessment">
    Perform a formal risk assessment to evaluate hazards identified during investigation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="What is Just Culture?" href="/explanation/just-culture">
    Understand the non-punitive reporting philosophy that underpins effective investigation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>