An Approach to an Aviation Safety Program Anthony C. Hill Jr.

November 5, 2011 Aviation Safety

Abstract

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In this paper my goal is to convey the importance of an aviation safety program within the operation of a flight charter company. The fact that aviation is one of the most risky industries, safety has to be paramount. I will go into depth on some of the pressing issues that we face today in aviation and also how to alleviate these issues by the implementation of a safety program. The focus will be on the safety issues that are faced in aviation today, an approach to implementing a safety program, managing that program, and the benefits it will bring to the organization. At the end of this reading, the reader should have gained a profound understanding of what it takes to administer and maintain an effective aviation safety program.

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In aviation the number one consideration that managers face throughout all facets of operations is the safety of these operations. While there is a plethora of safety issues that aviation professionals face on a daily basis, the most prudent ones are the decision making ability of flight crews and the communication between these crews and also within the organization. Most accidents in aviation are attributed to some sort of human error, whether it was communication based or of insufficient decision making ability. After all it is human to err. (Wells, pg 162). The ability of pilots, flight crews, maintainers and other personnel involved in the operation of flight to be vigilant, is key to their ability to make the best decision possible for a given situation. In any environment, some type communication is essential to reach common goals or to reach the desired outcome. This does not differ in aviation. Effective communication, the foundation of good decision making, it is critical in aviation operations. In the past it was difficult for junior personnel to voice their opinions for fear of being reprimanded if they were to embarrass the captain. Much change has been brought to that area of communication. Information that might arise from junior personnel, and in some cases passengers, should be assimilated by the appropriate members of the flight crew so that the best decisions in the name of safety can be made based on that information. However, correct deliverance of vital information is only half the battle. Managers need to also ensure that aviation professionals within their departments have the proper training and attitude towards safety so that they can make the best decisions possible for a given situation. Crew Resource Management (CRM) training is one of the most critical elements of an organizations strategy to minimize risk and manage human error (Helmreich, Wilhelm, Klinect & Merritt). Aviation professionals have came a long way in the reduction of human error greatly in part with the

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help of CRM training in part with Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) training, the advancement of effective communication practices, and good decision making habits. That being said, the implementation of a robust safety program is key to the advancement of the organization in the name of safety. When considering the design and implementation of a safety program the different areas of the operation should be analyzed to help alleviate decision making and communication errors. The maintenance of aircraft, the operation of those aircraft, the management of labor, adhering to regulations, and the risk factors all need to be taken into great consideration. These factors, and not limited to them, when addressed correctly will come together to produce a safety program that will create a culture of safety within an organization that will foster the highest level of safety. The regulations that the FAA have put in place to govern the safety of aviation operations is, simply put, the minimum that has to be done. This does not prevent managers of aviation operations to place higher standards within their organizations in the name of safety. For instance, Title 14 Part 91.103 of the Federal Aviation Regulations requires that a pilot know about all information about a flight before take off (Federal Aviation Regulations). As far as the preflight inspection goes, it does not require you to go the extra step and check things that are not covered by the preflight inspection checklist for that aircraft. Also, the regulation does not put governance on how far in advance that information needs to be obtained. However, the safety program can dictate that the organization go further than the regulations and require that pilots go that extra step and check parts of the aircraft that are not covered by the preflight inspection checklist. A safe flight cannot be completed without this information. Taking these extra initiatives can bring a great deal of benefits, in regards to both safety and finances.

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However, going the extra step does not just lay with preflight inspections. A good safety program should cover all flight operations as well as maintenance and, in some instances, administrative operations. Going the extra mile in the name of safety should be the standard throughout the safety program. In the keeping of higher safety standards, aviation managers need to be keen to safety issues so that they can be equipped to make the best decisions when implementing and maintaining an aviation safety program. The inherent risks associated with this type of operation should also be taken into great consideration. Risk management programs will need to be established, maintained and administered by management within the safety program. Without a proper understanding of risk, one can surely expect that the operation would have holes in its safety management program leaving the door wide open to accidents. Risk management within an organization is crucial to the success rate of its operations. Risk management has stemmed largely from financial concerns and a realization that losses from different areas in a business must be either reduced or accepted (Wells, pg 150). The management of risks will have to be deeply imbedded within the safety program for maximum effectiveness. The manner in which operations are ran will have to be scrutinized at the different levels of the organization so that different safety issues that may arise my be cause before an accident may occur. The safety plan will have to ensure that the safety of operations are protected at various levels within the organization. Just about all accident that happen do not occur because of one isolated incident, however, they occur as a result of a chain reaction of unsafe events that carried the signs that an accident was about to happen. In the investigation of aviation accidents the FAA uses the Reasons accident causation model to uncover managements role in the accident. It is apparent that management and

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its implementation of polices and procedures have a great deal to do with the root causes of an accident and therefore needs to incorporate controls to protect the faith of the operation. In aviation risks do not only account for the possibilities of financial losses but also the loss of lives. This is why the management of risk in this safety program will have to be of the utter most importance. Posted safety policies, goals and objectives, auditing and evaluations will all have to be implemented within the safety program to ensure the highest level of safety through the reductions of unnecessary risks. These measures will have to be put in place with the labor forces adherence. A major part of risk management is the management of the labor force. Management is responsible for directing and influencing the attitudes that personnel has towards safety, enhancing the motivation to follow company policies and ensuring that personnel are properly trained and qualified to perform their duties. At times, the workload of an air charter can become very demanding placing a great deal of weight on the labor force making it more difficult to perform their duties correctly. The guidelines of the safety program will need to make it so that personnel are aligned with their duties and that management is constantly probing the operation looking for deficiencies and improvements to the system. Policies that would dictate the duties that personnel are responsible for in regards to safety would need to be written and disseminated to the labor force very effectively. With the dissemination of that information, programs will also need to be established that will engage the labor force in the keeping of safe operations. For instance, if personnel are not deeply involved in the safety of the operation, the safety of the operation will always be in grave jeopardy regardless of that policies are written and procedures enacted. However, the ensuring of safety does not lie only with the paper. There has to be an underlying force behind the written policies that govern the safety

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within this organization that promulgates the actual essence of safety that management wishes to promote. An organizations culture is that underlying force. Management will have to establish a climate that will foster a healthy culture for safety. The responsibility of organizations is to minimize the negative components of each type of culture while emphasizing the positive (Helmreich et al). Managers will have to weed out the negative influences that previous cultures may have possibly left behind. The enactment of professional programs will help to alleviate this. Possible one of the most potent tools in the establishment of a good safety culture is the setting of personal goals. Personnel should be striving to attain safety goals throughout their employment. Goals give individuals (for the most part) motivation to excel above the norm. The safety program will have to state that during individual evaluations higher than previous goals are set so that the standard of safety keeps at its optimal level. Along with the enhancement of the culture within the organization, there also needs to be the establishment of a training doctrine. [Crew] training is another strategy for reducing error (Wells, pg 172). Pilots, crew and maintenance personnel along with management and other administrative personnel will need to be trained in accordance with the written polices. This will allow them to be fully aware of their specific responsibilities and also be prepared and knowledgeably equipped to perform. The FARs require that a training program such as CRM be implemented within the organization. Establishing governing policies for this in the safety program will ensure that these requirements are being met. It will be a major asset in the reduction of safety. Monthly seminars, safety news letters, individual evaluations and safety stand downs will also need to be integrated into the safety program so that personnel will always be aware of safety issues within the organization and within themselves. Through these mediums, information gath-

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ered such as that from the ASRS database can be given to personnel. As a result, issues will be able to be reviewed and discussed allowing for resolutions to come to past allowing for better decisions in the future. Information, good information, will be key in the development, implementation and maintenance of the safety program. The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), managed by NASA, has proven to be a vital tool in the improvement of aviation safety. NASAs Aviation Safety Reporting System was designed to encourage the reports by pilots and air traffic controllers concerning errors and operational problems in the aviation system by guaranteeing anonymity and immunity from prosecution for all reporters (Wells, pg 87). Individuals who feel comfortable and free of reprimand from the reporting of safety issues that they deem to be unsafe are highly effective in a safety management program. Data gathered from this database will be instrumental in the development of this safety program. However, voluntary reporting of safety issues should not only rest with NASA. Having a similar method of gathering this vital information within the organization will give management the ability to have a focused view on the companys operations, make evaluations and necessary adjustments to the safety program so that the highest level of safety could be attained. This will allow for anomalies and deficiencies within the operation that are not so obvious to be realized and resolved before they can cause an accident. In the discussion of implementing an aviation safety program for an air charter it has, thus far, focuses on the flight aspect of the operation for the most part. However, behind the scene there is a great deal of activity that needs much attention if safety is to be maintained. Maintenance Resource Management (MRM), similar to CRM, plays a major role in how maintenance personnel operate. The safety program will have to dictate the implementation of an MRM program that will outline how maintenance programs should be written. This program will cover all required tasks

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as well as other tasks that management would deem necessary to ensure the highest level of safety in the maintenance department. While we have made significant progress in the safety of aviation maintenance it should still be realized that today erroneous maintenance practices still cause fatal accidents in aviation. Maintenance is the primary cause in 6% of hull losses (Naval Safety Center School of Aviation Safety). MRM programs are essential to maintenance departments to in order to ensure safety within those departments. In the design phase of a safety program much effort will be needed to go into the strategic implementation of an MRM program. An interesting metric to note is the fact that out of the erroneous maintenance related accidents approximately 60% of those accidents were contributed to management conditions and not directly to the actions of maintainers (Naval Safety Center School of Aviation Safety); again, the management of the labor force. In aviation, like other industries, planning is the most important thing. Maintenance actions and daily flights and everything in between has to be carefully planned. Even unplanned events such as accidents have some sort of plan associated with them. In the name of keeping an organizations safety level as high as it can possibly be a well thought out plan needs to be developed and kept to. An aviation safety program is that plan. A well thought out aviation safety program will be necessary to the survival of this charter company. The polices, procedures and programs contained within this program will be of the utter most importance to safety and the efficiency of the operation. It will need to take in account the major issues with aviation safety such as decision making and communication. With the correct implementation of this safety program the decision making ability of personnel, both ground personnel and flight crews, will be improved exponentially along with the effectiveness of the communication among employees. Poor planning produces poor performance. This aviation safety plan will be insurmountable in the pursuit of a safe operation.

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References Federal Aviation Regulations. (2011). Title 14: Aeronautics and Space. Retrieved from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Helmreich, R.L., Wilhelm, J.A., Klinect, J.R., & Merritt, A.C. (in press). Culture, Error and Crew Resource Management. Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin. Naval Safety Center School of Aviation Safety. (2011). [Power point presentation of Maintenance Error Analysis]. Introduction to Maintenance Error Analysis. Retrieved from www.hf.faa.gov/docs/508/docs/maint_HFACS1.ppt

Wells, A.T., Rodriguez, C.C. (2004). Commercial Aviation Safety. (4th ed.). Hightstown, N.J.