NOTAMs for accident investigation

Investigative use cases

NOTAM evidence rarely stands alone in a final report, but gaps in the published information record can materially affect analysis of crew decisions, dispatch release validity, and operator procedures.

• Verify whether a runway closure, lighting limitation, or navaid outage NOTAM was active on the occurrence date
• Compare crew and dispatch briefing content with officially published notices at the relevant ICAO locations
• Document temporary airspace restrictions, obstacles, or procedural changes applicable during the flight segment
• Establish the published information baseline for human factors and organisational analysis
• Support safety recommendation development with contemporaneous aeronautical data

Methodology: ICAO, date, and optional NOTAM ID

Frame queries around aerodromes and FIRs relevant to the operation: departure, destination, alternates, and en-route airspace as needed. Select the UTC date (and consider time of day relative to validity periods) matching the phase of flight under examination.

NOTAM History returns the archived active set from professional data APIs, emailed in ICAO plain-text format. Archive depth is approximately two years. See data sources and accuracy for coverage limits.

Relationship to other evidence

Combine NOTAM archive output with weather, ATIS/ VOLMET records, flight plan data, ACARS, and company briefing artifacts. Investigators should note that archive retrieval reflects provider storage for the requested date — verify critical findings against national AIS records where authority requirements apply.

NOTAM History is not for pre-flight briefing and does not replace formal evidence collection from state authorities when mandated by procedure.

Access for investigation teams

One-off searches cost €9.99; yearly subscriptions at €29.99 include ten searches with €29.99 top-up packs for additional volume. Teams handling multiple occurrences or fleet-wide reviews often prefer subscription or top-up over repeated one-off checkout.

For related safety management use, see NOTAMs for flight safety audits. For general archive concepts, see historical NOTAMs and how it works.

Coordination with state investigation authorities

State accident investigation boards may obtain NOTAM evidence through official AIS channels. Independent archive retrieval via NOTAM History can accelerate early fact-finding before formal requests complete.

When reporting findings, distinguish archive provider content from operator briefing system logs. Both may be necessary to conclude whether published information reached the cockpit.

Preserve search parameters and email timestamps in the investigation docket. Subscription access at €29.99/year may suit boards or operator safety departments with recurring review responsibilities.

Professional use summary

NOTAM History delivers archived NOTAMs by ICAO aerodrome or FIR and historical validity date, with approximately two years of archive depth via professional aviation data APIs. Pricing: €9.99 one-off, €29.99/year (ten searches), €29.99 top-up. Email output uses ICAO plain-text format for investigators, lawyers, insurers, safety officers, and operators. Not for pre-flight briefing — use FAA NOTAM Search or approved operator systems for current US and international operations before flight.

NOTAM History queries professional archive APIs by 4-letter ICAO aerodrome or FIR code and historical validity date, returning ICAO plain-text NOTAM output by email within seconds. Archive depth is approximately two years where supported. Pricing is €9.99 per one-off search, €29.99 per year including ten searches, or €29.99 top-up packs. The service is designed for investigators, aviation lawyers, insurers, safety officers, and operators who need expired NOTAMs no longer shown on FAA NOTAM Search or briefing apps — and is not for pre-flight operational briefing.

Archive retrieval on notamhistory.com remains the practical path for notams for accident investigation workflows when expired notices are unavailable on FAA NOTAM Search or standard briefing feeds.