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Category Archives: Aviation Safety and Quality Management
NBAA Safety Committee Identifies Top Safety Focus Areas for 2014
NBAA Press Release
Washington, DC, March 5, 2014
For the second consecutive year, the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) Safety Committee has published a list of recommended safety priorities for the business aviation industry. The list is intended to promote safety-focused discussion and advocacy among NBAA Members and the business aviation industry.
The list of NBAA Top Safety Focus Areas for 2014 is (in no particular order):
- Professionalism
- Positive Safety Culture
- Single-Pilot Safety
- Fitness for Duty
- Airport Safety
- Airmanship Skills
- Distraction Management
- Public Policy
- Talent Pipeline
- Technology Management
The committee developed the list with input from many of NBAA’s other standing committees, as well as from the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Advisory Committee and regional business aviation groups.
The list is first intended to serve as a conversation starter. “We want to start having discussions in our various spheres of influence on what each of these topics means on a personal basis,” said NBAA Safety Committee Chairman Eric Barfield. “But perhaps more importantly, we want to provoke a meaningful discussion among colleagues within the flight department and with the corporate office. It’s a conversation that goes both up and down the chain of command.”
The list also will serve to guide the Safety Committee’s work in support of safety advocacy for the year to come, providing a useful framework for developing future NBAA resources and education efforts in the coming months.
“Sometimes people don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to business aviation safety,” Barfield said. “We’re trying to educate them on those areas, as well as point out tools to help them continuously improve their safety processes and outcomes.”
First published in 2013 under the moniker “Top 10 Safety Focus Areas,” this year’s list was renamed to recognize the diversity within business aviation and give equal weight to all items listed. “This is no longer a prioritized list of concerns. Everybody has different priorities,” said Barfield. “Instead, these are key areas where the committee believes more discussion is warranted.”
The 2014 topics themselves are largely unchanged from 2013. Where changes to the list were introduced, they typically served to enhance or expand on topics and focus area descriptions from the previous year.
For example, “fatigue” is now aligned under a larger “fitness for duty” umbrella along with aeromedical issues and the growing concern with improper use of over-the-counter medications. ”Distraction management” is a new topic encompassing not only task saturation and situational awareness, but also distractions created by pressures stemming from the home and office. “Airmanship skills” and “airport safety” remain on the list, but have been expanded in scope.
Review NBAA’s Top Safety Focus Areas.
Learn more about the NBAA Safety Committee.
Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review for Offshore Rotor Operations
In September 2013, following a number of incidents involving offshore helicopter operations, the UK CAA, in conjunction with EASA and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority, conducted a safety review. The review examined the risks and hazards of operating in the North Sea and considered how these could be managed more effectively.
This comprehensive analysis of North Sea helicopter operations and safety performance proposes a series of actions and makes a number of important recommendations for the industry. The focus is now on managing the changes arising from the report in a considered and systematic way.
Although focused on oil and gas operations in the North Sea, the Review has indirect relevance for offshore Search and Rescue (SAR) too and will arguably be of interest to other offshore oil and gas locations around the world.
The Review contains 32 Actions which the UK CAA have committed to but more widely 29 Recommendations. Of these, 13 are to EASA, 12 to the Helicopter Industry (AOC Holders, MROs, ATOs and manufacturers), 3 to the oil and gas industry and one collectively to all three of these
Read the full report
ACSF and ARGUS International Collaborate to Offer Two Results with One Combined Audit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Bryan Burns
President
888-723-3135
bburns@acsf.aero
ACSF and ARGUS International Collaborate to Offer Two Results with One Combined Audit
Alexandria, VA, March 4, 2014 — The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) and ARGUS International, Inc. have been working together to offer the charter and fractional ownership industry a single audit combining both the ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS) and the ARGUS Platinum Standard. Both the ACSF and ARGUS are pleased to announce they have reached an agreement in principle.
In the near future, ARGUS will offer an Industry Audit Standard (IAS) module as an add-on to its proprietary Platinum Audit Standard. The IAS module will contain operational requirements that have been extracted from best practices used by the FAR Part 121 community and have applicability to the Parts 135 and 91K marketplace. Operators that successfully complete the audit performed against the Platinum standard, including the IAS module, will receive the ARGUS Platinum rating and be added to the ACSF registry.
Both ACSF and ARGUS believe this will be a win-win relationship for the Charter and Fractional operators as they work together to reduce operational risk and redundant workload associated with multiple audits. The two standards will mesh well together as the ARGUS Platinum standard has become the most recognized symbol of an operator’s overall quality to charter buyers around the world, and the IAS is focused on operational and maintenance initiatives that are applied and refined in an effort to assist the commercial business aviation marketplace in achieving safety metrics found in the U.S. Air Carrier marketplace.
ACSF Chairman Jeff Baum said, “The Air Charter Safety Foundation IAS recognized that the scheduled airline community, in part through the use of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and FAR Part 121, has demonstrated the best safety record in the aviation industry. ACSF Accreditation recognizes a Part 135 operator or Fractional Manager that is utilizing many policies and procedures common to their Part 121 counterparts to further enhance their overall Safety Management System.”
“It is through a cooperative effort and shared mission of safety, that the Air Charter Safety Foundation and ARGUS have been able to bring this program to the marketplace through a single on-site audit event, thereby accomplishing an objective core to the mission statement of the ACSF,” noted Baum.
“ARGUS Platinum has for years now, represented the most sought after rating by charter consumers around the world,” said Joe Moeggenberg, President and CEO of ARGUS. “Yet we recognize that some operators require or desire compliance with other standards, yet dread the thought of the time and money associated with multiple audit events. ARGUS is very pleased to cooperate with the ACSF on their Industry Audit Standard (IAS) initiative, and happy to once again uniquely offer the marketplace the ability to perform one audit event with an outcome pertinent to both Platinum and ACSF requirements.”
“This will represent a significant decrease in both time and cost for each participating charter company, without any compromise to either standard or actual audit,” added Moeggenberg.
Dassault delivers first Falcon 2000S in Brazil
Dassault delivers first Falcon 2000S in Brazil
Dassault Falcon Jet recently delivered its first Falcon 2000S in Brazil following certification by ANAC, Brazil’s aviation regulatory authority, late last year.
³The Falcon 2000S is a terrific option for customers in Brazil and elsewhere in South America,² said John Rosanvallon, president and ceo of Dassault Falcon Jet. ³It can reach any two cities non-stop anywhere within South America and can readily handle the remote airstrips and the hot and high conditions the continent is known for.²
Sun Air Jets completes safety hat trick
Sun Air Jets completes safety hat trick
Sun Air Jets has completed three major safety audits in the last four months. They were the Executive Jet Management, the International Standards-Business Aircraft Operations, and the Air Charter Safety Foundation audits.
NetJets’ Globals get London City Airport approval
NetJets’ Globals get London City Airport approval
NetJets Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company and the worldwide leader in private aviation, announced today that the London City Airport Authority has approved certification to operate its NetJets Signature Series Global aircraft to and from London City Airport. The certification will enhance NetJets service by offering its Global customers the opportunity to utilize a strategically located airport in London.
Metro Aviation takes safety to the next level
So
urce: Metro Aviation, February 21 2014
Metro Aviation takes safety to the next level
Metro Aviation recently achieved Level IV of the FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS) Pilot Project. Level IV is the highest level of the program, and Metro Aviation is one of only three organizations in the United States operating under 14 CFR 135 rules to achieve this milestone. The Program provides a four level system to acknowledge development of a formal SMS that meets FAA expectations and ICAO international standards.
Safety, Quality and Customer Service have been the hallmarks of Metro Aviation for more than 30 years and achieving Level IV reinforces Metro’s commitment to the highest level of safety.
“Metro Aviation has consistently gone beyond the traditional regulatory minimums and the goal of our SMS is to establish a level of safety in our organization that continues to set new standards,” said Metro Aviation Director of Safety Tarek Loutfy.
In addition to implementing SMS, Metro Aviation has embraced safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to helicopter operators including the newly released Safety Alert on the use of simulators. Metro has provided simulator training to its pilots for more than 5 years and is now a resource for others in the industry.
Metro is also committed to establishing an active SMS for their Part 145 Repair Station. “The SMS will provide a uniform way of handling maintenance safety practices and procedures to ensure that all employees and management are on the same page,” said Managing Director Milton Geltz.
Metro Aviation voluntarily signed up to participate in the FAA’s program in 2010. Although they have now achieved the highest level in the program, Metro will continue to research hazards and implement solutions in an effort to operate in the safest way possible
FAA Issues EMS Rule, Includes Additional Helicopter Operations
Source: Rotor News, Helicopter Association International (HAI) Feb 21 2014
FAA Issues EMS Rule, Includes Additional Helicopter Operations
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finalized a rule requiring stronger safety measures for helicopter operators, including air ambulances. Changes include equipment, training and operational requirements, and all HAI members are strongly encouraged to review the rule.
The rule is primarily directed toward air ambulance operations, but also addresses commercial helicopter and general aviation helicopter operations, implementing new operational procedures and additional equipment requirements. Additionally, the rule revises requirements for equipment, pilot testing, and alternative airports as well as increasing weather minimums for all general aviation helicopter operations under Part 91 in Class G airspace.
For helicopter air ambulances, the rule requires operations with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 operating rules and introduces new weather minimums and visibility requirements for Part 135 operations. It mandates flight planning, preflight risk analyses, safety briefings for medical personnel, and the establishment of operations control centers (OCC) for certain operators to help with risk management and flight monitoring. The rule also includes provisions to encourage instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. It requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with both helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems. In addition, helicopter air ambulance pilots will be required to hold instrument ratings.
For all helicopters operated under Part 135, these rules require that operators carry more survival equipment for operations over water. Alternate airports named in flight plans must have higher weather minimums than are currently required. These helicopters must be equipped with radio altimeters and pilots must be able to demonstrate that they can maneuver the aircraft during an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to get out of those conditions safely. As mentioned above, the rule assigns new weather minimums to part 91 helicopter operations in Class G airspace.
The following represents a summary of affected entities:
Part 135 All Rotorcraft Operators:
Requires each rotorcraft to be equipped with a radio altimeter ( Section 135.160)
Adds Section 135.168 equipment requirements for rotorcraft operated over water. Helicopter operations conducted over water will be required to carry additional safety equipment to assist passengers and crew in the event an accident occurs over water.
Revised alternate airport weather minimums for rotorcraft in Section 135.221. This rule improves the likelihood of being able to land at the alternate airport if weather conditions in the area deteriorate while the helicopter is en route.
Revises Section 135.293 to require pilot testing of rotorcraft handling in flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions and demonstration of competency in recovery from an IIMC.
Part 135 Helicopter Air Ambulance:
Requires helicopter air ambulance flights with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 (Section 135.1, 135.601).
Requires certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers (OCC) (Section 135.619) and requires drug and alcohol testing for operations control specialists (Section 120.105 and 120.215).
Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with HTAWS (Section 135.605).
Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with a flight data monitoring system (Section 135.607).
Requires each helicopter air ambulance operator to establish and document, in its operations manual, an FAA-approved preflight risk analysis (Section 135.617).
Requires pilots to identify and document the highest obstacle along the planned route (Section 135.615).
Requires safety briefings or training for helicopter air ambulance medical personnel (Section 135.621).
Establishes visual flight rules (VFR) weather minimums for helicopter air ambulance operations (Section 135.609).
Permits instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at airports without weather reporting (Section 135.611).
Establishes procedures for transitioning between IFR and VFR on approach to, and departure from, heliports or landing areas (Section 135.613).
Requires pilots in commend to hold an instrument rating (Section 135.603).
The rule is primarily directed toward air ambulance operations, but also addresses commercial helicopter and general aviation helicopter operations, implementing new operational procedures and additional equipment requirements. Additionally, the rule revises requirements for equipment, pilot testing, and alternative airports as well as increasing weather minimums for all general aviation helicopter operations under Part 91 in Class G airspace.
For helicopter air ambulances, the rule requires operations with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 operating rules and introduces new weather minimums and visibility requirements for Part 135 operations. It mandates flight planning, preflight risk analyses, safety briefings for medical personnel, and the establishment of operations control centers (OCC) for certain operators to help with risk management and flight monitoring. The rule also includes provisions to encourage instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. It requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with both helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems. In addition, helicopter air ambulance pilots will be required to hold instrument ratings.
For all helicopters operated under Part 135, these rules require that operators carry more survival equipment for operations over water. Alternate airports named in flight plans must have higher weather minimums than are currently required. These helicopters must be equipped with radio altimeters and pilots must be able to demonstrate that they can maneuver the aircraft during an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to get out of those conditions safely. As mentioned above, the rule assigns new weather minimums to part 91 helicopter operations in Class G airspace.
The following represents a summary of affected entities:
- Part 135 All Rotorcraft Operators:
Requires each rotorcraft to be equipped with a radio altimeter ( Section 135.160)
Adds Section 135.168 equipment requirements for rotorcraft operated over water. Helicopter operations conducted over water will be required to carry additional safety equipment to assist passengers and crew in the event an accident occurs over water. - Revised alternate airport weather minimums for rotorcraft in Section 135.221. This rule improves the likelihood of being able to land at the alternate airport if weather conditions in the area deteriorate while the helicopter is en route.
- Revises Section 135.293 to require pilot testing of rotorcraft handling in flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions and demonstration of competency in recovery from an IIMC.
- Part 135 Helicopter Air Ambulance:
Requires helicopter air ambulance flights with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 (Section 135.1, 135.601). - Requires certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers (OCC) (Section 135.619) and requires drug and alcohol testing for operations control specialists (Section 120.105 and 120.215).
- Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with HTAWS (Section 135.605).
- Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with a flight data monitoring system (Section 135.607).
- Requires each helicopter air ambulance operator to establish and document, in its operations manual, an FAA-approved preflight risk analysis (Section 135.617).
- Requires pilots to identify and document the highest obstacle along the planned route (Section 135.615).
- Requires safety briefings or training for helicopter air ambulance medical personnel (Section 135.621).
- Establishes visual flight rules (VFR) weather minimums for helicopter air ambulance operations (Section 135.609).
- Permits instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at airports without weather reporting (Section 135.611).
- Establishes procedures for transitioning between IFR and VFR on approach to, and departure from, heliports or landing areas (Section 135.613).
- Requires pilots in commend to hold an instrument rating (Section 135.603).
SHORT HILLS AVIATION SERVICES JOINS AIR CHARTER SAFETY FOUNDATION
Source:
Bryan Burns
President
888-723-3135
bburns@acsf.aero
SHORT HIlLS AVIATION SERVICES JOINS AIR CHARTER SAFETY FOUNDATION
Alexandria, VA, February 21, 2014 — The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is pleased to announce that Short Hills Aviation Services of Morristown, NJ, is the newest Part 135 charter operator to join the ACSF. Along with 107 other companies, Short Hills Aviation now supports the mission of the ACSF to raise the safety bar in the on-demand charter and fractional industry.
“Our membership heightens the validity of our company philosophy,” said Short Hills Aviation President, Mario Dudzinski. “We are very pleased to have the support of the ACSF in our commitment to safety. Chartering your own private jet does much more than offer a reliable sense of travel; it also puts our clients in control of their time, destination and safety,” Dudzinski added.
Short Hills Aviation Services specializes in aircraft charter and management.
“Their entire staff has the shared attitude that safety above and beyond what is considered regulatory must be a core value for their company,” noted ACSF President Bryan Burns.
The ACSF has developed the industry audit standard, an all-inclusive audit tailored for Part 135 and 91K operators that acts as a detailed gap analysis of an operator’s management practices. The audit program consists of a thorough review of an operator’s processes and procedures, regulatory compliance, and the operator’s implementation of and adherence to a safety management system (SMS).
For further information, go to www.acsf.aero and www.shorthillsaviation.com.
# # #
“The vision of the ACSF is to enable on-demand charter providers and fractional program managers to achieve the highest levels of safety in the aviation industry. This goal will be achieved through:
- Promotion of risk management programs,
- The adoption of one common industry audit standard,
- Dissemination of safety information and,
- Creation of additional programs that advance the goals of the foundation.”