Describe how Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), FAA Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)/Pilot Safety Action Program (PSAP), and Line Operation Safety Audit (LOSA) could be used in the form of SMS assurance by the Chief Pilot of an airline. Use either a real example that has possibly caused an incident/accident or be creative and make one up.
Explain how Safety Risk Management (SRM) and Safety Assurance (SA) were or should have been applied.
reply too 2 classmates please short replies.
elias
1. An airline’s safety management system consists of programs such as FOQA, ASAP, PSAP, and LOSA each having the purpose of protecting the operation of the carrier in terms of safety and are essential to airline operation. These tools allow higher management to make decisions based on the severity of the situation they are presented with, in hopes of making operations more efficient and safer. PASAP in particular is a very powerful tool because it allows pilots to make safety relative reports in a manner that is non-punitive and guaranteed to be confidential. This is extremely powerful because it empowers the employee to report what they have seen or experienced without any fear or retaliation from the FAA or their employer. I would like to say, on a personal note, that pilots are, maybe, one of the most important reporters of incidents because of the inherent responsibility they partake in and that there is a large amount of trust that pilots have in each other to own up to their mistakes in order to make themselves safer. However, this just doesn’t stop at the cockpit but what the pilots can see going on outside the cockpit that may peak their concerns such a ground handling mishaps or other observations made of another aircraft or even maintenance issues that they are beginning to notice is either a pattern or completely negligent that could make an aircraft unairworthy.
For example, say in the case of Avianca flight 52. While Avianca 52 was unfortunately lost, had they not and a PSAP system was in place a valid case of multiple factors would have been noted by the flight crew that would’ve contributed to an accident. The flight crew was “forgotten” by ATC when they asked for conditions of their alternate destination, Boston, they were given multiple lengthy holds that burned away fuel and were not given the urgency needed when ATC made aware of the unfolding situation. On the part of the pilots they were flying into very serious weather but at no point asked for a weather brief for New York. The crew almost crashed on the first approach into New York almost as a direct result of getting caught in windshear that they would’ve known about long prior to had they asked.
References:
FAA Hotline & Whistleblower Information System (FHWIS). (n.d.). US Department of Transportation. https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/faa-hotline-whistleblower-information-system-fhwis-4#:~:text=Reports%20and%20complaints%20are%20accepted,the%20person%20filing%20the%
jordan
2. Hello class,
SMS assurance spans beyond maintenance practices and safe airspace. The ability to gather data to form trend analysis to mitigate future safety concerns is essential to a successful SMS. According to the FAA, Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) is a voluntary program for the routine collection and analysis of flight operational data to provide more information and greater insight into the total flight operations environment. A FOQA program combines these data with other sources and operational experience to develop objective information to enhance safety, training effectiveness, operational procedures, maintenance and engineering procedures, and air traffic control (ATC) procedures. I think of the Air Force’s QA program, The MSEP/LEAP program. These systems allow for all documented incidents and QA evaluations to be saved with the corresponding IAW that were not followed during the assessment or QVI. The documentation will enable QA to create trend analysis for fails that arise of CAT 2 major discrepancies to be reviewed for potential addition to carded items for inspections or tasks to be performed. I cannot speak on the pilot aspect; however, working with student pilots, we are reminded to have heightened situational awareness because the students will lack situational awareness when they are in a new aircraft. I have had my share of near misses of almost being run over. I had an instance when I was doing EOR, and the student pilot on his 3rd flight needed to adjust his rudder pedals. Without thinking of disengaging his NWS, he adjusted his rudder pedals, causing the nose wheel to maneuver around the chock because we only chock the nose at EOR. He started rolling towards us, and I had to yell at the mic to stop him.
Jordan
Reference
AC 120-82 – flight operational quality assurance. (n.d.). https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_120-82.pdf
