STATUS OF FINDINGS OF AIR INVESTIGATION COMMISSIONS IN LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS (Status ustalen lotniczych komisji dochodzeniowych w postepowaniach sadowych i administracyjnych)

The article deals with the problem of legal status of findings of aircraft accident and incident investigations. The author questions the extent to which such findings may be binding in civil, criminal and administrative procedures. Particular emphasis is placed on the matter of probative value of final reports including such findings. Further, the possibility that such reports may be deemed as official documents and thus used as evidence is discussed. Eventually, the author analyzes possible constraints to the mentioned use of the reports, which arise from general procedural rules as well as air law regulations.