Section Excerpts

32

In addition, on average since the mid-1980s, the accident rate among corporate/executive operators has been superior to that of commuter air carriers and air taxis operating under FAR Part 135. The year 2003 shows one of the best corporate/executive (professionally flown) accident records ever – 0.028 accidents and 0.014 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours. Business aviation (nonprofessionally flown) compiled in 2003 its best record ever – 0.95 accidents per 100,000 flight hours.

z z z z z

In 2003, all airplanes and helicopters professionally flown for corporate/executive use under FAR Part 91 were involved in two accidents, including one fatal accident resulting in two fatalities, according to the NTSB and Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. Both accidents involved single professionally piloted turboprop aircraft. No accidents involved two professionally piloted corporate/executive-operated jets or turboprops. For the last decade, the results are as shown in Table 2.1.

Safety Policy In an ideal scenario, management regards an effective safety policy as vital in achieving the mission of the flight department. In recognition of this fact, the flight department is committed to providing a safe and healthful working environment free of recognized hazards for its employees, and an aggressive safety strategy is incorporated into all department activities. Likewise, employees must remember that safety is an individual responsibility as well as a departmental one. All department personnel should be held accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities under the safety program. Safety compliance should be part of an employee’s annual performance appraisal process. Characteristics of a successful safety policy therefore can be summarized as follows:

z

The safety program is vital to achieving the flight department’s mission The flight department is committed to providing a safe and healthful working environment The flight department identifies and eliminates hazards and minimizes potential risks through a risk analysis All employees are responsible and accountable for following the safety program Safety compliance is achieved through education and training Safety compliance is part of the annual performance appraisal process

Additional guidance on creating a safety program is provided elsewhere in this section.

Safety Culture The safety culture, or climate, is the flight department’s collective norms, standards, perceptions and behaviors with respect to safety. Management’s fostering of a positive safety culture is critical to any effective safety program. The following concepts and actions are elements of a safety culture: z z

z z z

Unqualified commitment to safety by top management Unambiguous expectation by each level of management as well as by each peer group that, for all employees, safe behaviors and work habits are the norm and must be practiced both on and off the job Clear, easily understood operating procedures, followed without deviation Quality, standardized equipment provided and used to accomplish assigned tasks System of communications in place for collecting, analyzing and exchanging incident data related to safety

Table 2.1: Aircraft Accident Rates, 1994–2003 (per 100,000 flight hours)1 Year

General Aviation2 Total/Fatal

Air Taxi3 Total/Fatal

Commuter Air Carriers4 Total/Fatal

Airlines5 Total/Fatal

Corporate/ Executive6 Total/Fatal

Business7 Total/Fatal

1994

8.97 / 1.79

4.58 / 1.40

0.359 / 0.108

0.168 / 0.030

0.180 / 0.070

1.81 / 0.51

1995

8.20 / 1.64

4.39 / 1.41

0.457 / 0.076

0.267 / 0.022

0.250 / 0.110

2.04 / 0.67

1996

7.61 / 1.49

4.44 / 1.43

0.399 / 0.036

0.276 / 0.036

0.140 / 0.060

1.71 / 0.34

1997

7.20 / 1.37

2.65 / 0.48

1.628 / 0.509

0.309 / 0.025

0.230 / 0.060

1.41 / 0.39

1998

7.47 / 1.41

2.02 / 0.45

2.262 / 0.000

0.297 / 0.006

0.091 / 0.000

1.14 / 0.30

1999

6.47 / 1.15

2.28 / 0.37

3.793 / 1.145

0.296 / 0.011

0.230 / 0.130

1.40 / 0.40

2000

6.59 / 1.24

2.04 / 0.56

3.247 / 0.271

0.311 / 0.016

0.125 / 0.060

1.28 / 0.37

2001

6.79 / 1.28

2.40 / 0.60

1.664 / 0.666

0.225 / 0.034

0.108 / 0.031

1.06 / 0.23

2002

7.12 / 1.42

2.06 / 0.62

2.919 / 0.000

0.217 / 0.000

0.166 / 0.029

1.08 / 0.36

2003

7.18 / 1.44

2.50 / 0.61

0.720 / 0.340

0.310 / 0.012

0.028 / 0.014

0.95 / 0.26

9

8

NOTES: Compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc., 2004 2. All U.S.-registered aircraft not operating under FAR Part 121 or 135 3. FAR Part 135 non-scheduled air carriers 4. FAR Part 135 scheduled air carriers 5. FAR Part 121 scheduled and nonscheduled air carriers 6. Aircraft owned or leased and operated by a corporation or business firm for the transportation of personnel or cargo in the furtherance of the corporation's or firm's business and which are flown by professional pilots receiving a direct salary or compensation for piloting 7. The use of aircraft by pilots (those not receiving direct salary or compensation for piloting) in conjunction with their occupation or in the furtherance of a business 8. Increased due to FAR Part 135 scheduled carriers re-certifying under FAR Part 121 9. Preliminary 1.

33 z z z z z

System in place for tracking incident and accident data, analyzing trends and sharing results No retribution for submission of incident data Retraining without penalty or stigma when safety is involved Peer acceptance that accidents are preventable, regardless of operations Peer acceptance that safety is part of the flight department mission and culture

Notes/Actions Required: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Safety Program

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The cornerstone of an effective safety program is an active accident prevention system. The flight department is committed to eliminating hazards and minimizing potential risks through the diligent practice of risk analysis. Hazards and incidents resulting from department operations should be identified at all levels. Conditions and acts posing unacceptable risk should be eliminated or changed to prevent employee injury or illness and property damage or loss.

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A safety program consists of four major components:

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z z

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z z

A formal accident prevention program Employee safety and accident prevention education and training An internal reporting system to allow employees and other personnel to report incidents and recognized hazards An internal assessment program to monitor the effectiveness of the safety program

The flight department should ensure compliance with all regulatory safety requirements through a comprehensive education and training program. The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) provides a rudimentary safety management system model that puts these elements together in a systematic manner.

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TIP!

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Each organization should tailor its safety program to its own specific needs. Complete and detailed information on creating a safety program is contained in the NBAA Prototypical Safety Program Manual, available on the CD-ROM accompanying this guide or online at web.nbaa.org/public/ops/safety/manual.

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Safety Manager Duties The safety manager (or safety officer) is tasked with the overall responsibility for the development and implementation of the flight department safety program. This person reports directly to the flight department manager on all safety issues and also serves all levels of the department as an advisor on safety matters.

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