Safety and Accident Prevention Program
1. General and Background: There will always be hazards, both real and potential,
associated with the operation of any aircraft. Technical, operational and human
failures induce the hazards. The
aim of every flight safety program therefore is to address and control
them. This is achieved through the
establishment of a safety program which ensures the careful recording and
monitoring of safety-related occurrences for adverse trends in order to prevent
the recurrence of similar incidents which could lead to an aircraft accident.
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Supervisory Authority
primary responsibility is to safety and prevention of accidents through
prescribing standards, rules, and regulations, and in issuing certificates
under the Egyptian Civil Aviation Regulations. ECAA considers the duty resting
upon Certificate Holders to perform their services with the highest possible
level of safety. The validity of the Air Operator Certificate or other
certificate depends upon the ability to conduct a safe operation in accordance
with prescribed rules, regulations, and standards. Through surveillance and
oversight, the ECAA verifies that Certificate Holders are upholding their responsibilities.
As a central figure in Egyptian Aviation, ECAA has
an opportunity to assist in cooperative efforts to enhance safety. ECAA has recently introduced three
programs under Partnership 2000 that focus on safety enhancement: Internal
Evaluation, Flight Operations Quality Assurance and Voluntary Disclosure
Programs.
2.
ESAP Program Introduction: It
is the goal of the ECAA Safety and Accident Prevention program, ESAP, to expand
ECAA's role in an advisory and cooperative capacity by facilitating safety
related issues. The ESAP Program
is based on six elements that are critical for the success of any safety
program:
(a) Safety must be recognized as a priority throughout the industry. Senior management must be knowledgeable and committed to improving safety standards.
(b)
Appropriate resources must be allocated for safety management.
(c)
Policy and Procedure and Regulatory compliance is essential.
(d)
Communications regarding safety must be open and non-punitive.
(e)
Education and Awareness programs enhance safety knowledge.
If any one of these elements is not present,
organization's safety programs is unlikely to be successful. These basic safety activities are not
new and are common to most safety programs.
3.
The structured processes of
the ESAP program are designed to achieve the following desirable outcomes:
(a) Management and staff that are more
knowledgeable, motivated, and more safety conscious.
(b) Staff who are actively involved in
the company's safety management.
(c) The continual identification and
correction of safety hazards within the companies.
(d) Proactive and systematic
implementation of preventative measures.
(e) The communication of current
information on the condition of the safety system within the organization.
(f) More open communication
between staff, different departments and management, with access provided to
safety information for those who need it.
4.
ESAP Program: The ESAP Program is
designed to provide specific assistance and advice to the Egyptian Aviation
Industry. Each of these tasks is
in support of one or more of the six elements of a safety program and focuses
on achieving the above stated outcomes.
(a) Developing guidelines for
implementing flight safety, accident prevention and flight standards programs.
(b) Providing operational assistance in
initially implementing these programs within airlines where they do not
currently exist.
(c) Provide an independent,
non-punitive and confidential Organizational Safety System Assessment (OSSA) to
enhance management's awareness of their internal safety status.
(d) Providing support in the development of Flight Operations Quality Assurance programs and assistance in developing information collection agreements.
(e) Providing assistance in developing
Confidential Reporting Systems within an airline.
(f) Maintaining a database of
significant operational events.
(g) Disseminating pertinent information
to all concerned organizations.
(h)
Provide safety and accident prevention seminars, workshops and educational
programs to the industry.
5.
Organization: The Head of Flight Safety Standards Sector of ECAA
directs the ESAP organization. The
ESAP committee consists of representatives from Flight Operations, Flight
Inspection and Airworthiness Central Administrations, Regulations Department as
well as invited members of the Egyptian Aviation Industry. These industry members should be
representative of the various companies and job descriptions that are
stakeholders in aviation safety.
These could include, but are not limited to airline management, safety
officers, pilots, dispatchers, engineers, air traffic controllers, training
experts, airports, etc. The
following depicts the general structure and committee relationships:
(a)
Committee Responsibilities: The ESAP Committee shall meet formally at least
once per month to:
1.
Review the current incident/accident database and determine if the committee
requires further study or actions.
2.
Determine educational seminars or workshops that should be developed presented
or attended and make responsibility assignments.
3.
Co-ordinate the dissemination of any information to the industry via a Safety
Newsletter.
3.
Review requests for assistance from the Aviation Industry for support and
determine a course of action.
4.
Review the progress of any previous actions taken by the committee.
5.
Develop internal processes for the Committee to effectively function.
6.
Other duties as assigned by the Chairman of the Committee.
(b) Specific Duties and
Programs:
1. Accident/Incident Database: The accident/incident
database is maintained by the Flight Safety Standards Sector and contains
information on all accidents and incidents occurring in Egypt or involving
Egyptian registered aircraft. The
ESAP Committee should analyze the monthly data and request trend analysis on a
periodic basis. Based on this
analysis, the committee should decide whether there are conditions the industry
should be advised of and develop specific recommendations. Those recommendations should be
published in the Safety Newsletter or, in urgent situations, direct letter
contact.
2. Educational Services: The ESAP shall
co-ordinate and provide seminars and workshops to the Aviation Industry to
improve the understanding and knowledge base of all stakeholders in accident
prevention and safety. These
educational programs may be as a direct result of findings from the Egyptian
Aviation Industry, international accident prevention and safety programs or
other pro-active programs. The
ESAP Committee shall present a minimum of two seminars or workshops per year to
the Industry as a whole or to specific targeted groups such as Engineers,
Pilot, Dispatchers, Safety Officers, etc.
A Safety Newsletter will be developed in the near future that will
provide a means of disseminating general and specific information to the
industry.
3. Advisory Services: The ESAP Committee
will provide accident prevention and safety assistance to the Egyptian Aviation
Industry by providing advisory services, within their capability, at the
request of the company. If
requested service is beyond the capabilities of the ESAP Committee, they will
try to assist the company in locating the appropriate expertise. Some examples of this assistance ESAP
can provide are Company Accident Prevention Program development and
implementation advice, confidentiality agreement development and negotiation,
Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program development advice and
Safety Assessments.
4. Organizational Safety System Assessment
(OSSA): One of the primary services
that ESAP can provided to the Aviation Industry is an Organizational Safety
System Assessment (OSSA) that is designed to enhance industry management's
awareness of their internal safety status by providing an independent,
non-punitive and confidential review of their organization.
NOTE: This program is not mandatory and is
provided only at the request of the organization.
The OSSA program is a
primarily a safety culture survey that should be undertaken to 'benchmark' the
company safety culture. This should
be done immediately before an Aviation Safety Management System or major
changes to the current system are being introduced and again, perhaps 12 months
later, to measure the improvements in culture resulting from the use of the
system. The OSSA program is divided into two parts. The first is an employee survey, to determine safety
culture, that is distributed and completed by a randomly selected group that
covers all areas of the company that have an impact on safety. The survey,
using a questionnaire, will reveal three major facets of the company and how it
behaves.
• The
difference (if any) in the way managers and workers see the culture.
• Define
targets for resources.
• A
benchmark to measure any changes to procedures against a later assessment..
The second is an audit to
determine what safety programs are documented, their implementation status and
perception of stakeholders in those programs. The information is gathered, analyzed and a confidential report
developed and presented to the Chairman of the Company and the Safety Officer.
Employee Survey
Airline Safety Culture Index
All employees of an airline or organization,
irrespective of the section in that they work, contribute to safety and are
each personally responsible for ensuring a positive safety culture. The purpose of this questionnaire is to
obtain employee opinions about safety within the organization. All of the questions as honestly as
possible. Give your own answers, not those of other employees.
You are required to give your name so we can
contact you for clarification if necessary but all of your answers will be kept
confidential and your reply will be de-identified.
Please complete the following section to best
identify your position and job description and indicate your base.
Name
Phone:
Job Title:
Work Area:
Base:
Experience
Time in Company
Flight Crew ____ ___0-1 year
____ 5
9 years
Ground Crew ____ ___2
4 years ____10 or more years.
Time in present position:
Please send this cover sheet and the completed
questionnaire forms to:
NOTE: This form will be destroyed as soon as data
is recorded in the database.
Part 1:
Circle the appropriate number (1 to 5) in its box
against each of the 25 questions. If you strongly disagree with the statement,
circle 1. If you strongly agree,
circle 5. If your opinion is
somewhere in between these extremes, circle 2, 3 or 4 (for disagree, unsure or
agree).
Please respond to every question. Adding all the responses gives a safety
culture score for the company, which is checked against known benchmarks.
Strongly
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
(a)
Employees are given enough training to do their tasks safely.
1
2
3
4
5
(b)
Managers get personally involved in safety enhancement activities
1
2
3
4
5
(c)
There are procedures to follow in the event of an emergency in my work
area.
1
2
3
4
5
(d)
Managers often discuss safety issues with employees.
1
2
3
4
5
(e)
Employees do all they can to prevent accidents.
1
2
3
4
5
(f)
Everyone is given sufficient opportunity to make suggestions regarding
safety issues
1
2
3
4
5
(g)
Employees often encourage each other to work safely.
1
2
3
4
5
(h)
Managers are aware of the main safety problems in the workplace.
1
2
3
4
5
(i)
All new employees are provided with sufficient safety training before
commencing work.
1
2
3
4
5
(j)
Managers often praise employees they see working safely.
1
2
3
4
5
(k)
Everyone is kept informed of any changes, which may affect safety.
1
2
3
4
5
(l)
Employees follow safety rules almost all of the time.
1
2
3
4
5
(m)
Safety within this company is better than in other airlines.
1
2
3
4
5
(n)
Managers do all they can to prevent accidents.
1
2
3
4
5
(o) Accident investigations attempt to find the
real cause of accidents and incidents, rather than just blame the people
involved.
1
2
3
4
5
(p)
Managers recognize when employees are working unsafely.
1
2
3
4
5
(q)
Any defects or hazards that are reported are rectified promptly.
1
2
3
4
5
(r)
There are mechanisms in place in my work area for me to report safety
deficiencies.
1
2
3
4
5
(s)
Managers stop unsafe operations or activities.
1
2
3
4
5
(t)
After an accident or incident has occurred, appropriate actions are
usually taken to reduce the chance of reoccurrence.
1
2
3
4
5
(u)
Everyone is given sufficient feedback regarding this company’s safety
performance.
1
2
3
4
5
(v)
Managers regard safety to be a very important part of all work
activities.
1
2
3
4
5
(w)
Safety audits are carried out frequently.
1
2
3
4
5
(x)
Safety within this company is generally well controlled.
1
2
3
4
5
(y) Employees
usually report any dangerous work practices they see.
1
2
3
4
5
Safety Culture Total:
Part 2:
Please answer the following questions.
What,
in your opinion, will cause the next accident or incident? Listed below are
some possible reasons to help you think of an answer for this question. Please
consider them and choose the appropriate answer(s). Please explain your choice
in a sentence or two.
Complacency
Violation
of rules or regulations
Mechanical
problems/equipment
Pilot/crew
error
Fatigue
or other physical factors
Working
conditions
Procedures
on the ground or in the air
Breakdown
of communications
Other
What are the shortcomings of our Accident Prevention Program as it now exists'? Listed below are some possible reasons to help you think of an answer for this question. Please consider them and choose the appropriate answer(s). Please explain your choice in a sentence or two.
a. Lack of discussion
about procedures
b. Safety publications
c. Dissemination of
information
d. Standardization, training
e. Lack of support or
participation
f. Communications
g. Suggestions,
surveys, etc.
h. Other
What
"close call" experiences have you had in the last 6 months?
What
do you like about the safety program?
What
ideas, comments or recommendations do you have about improving the safety
program in general?
Are
there jobs that you do on a fairly routine basis for which you don't have
suitable tools/equipment or you have to "jury rig" gear? Give
specifics.
Have
you received the amount of training you feel you needed to do your job well and
safely? What additional training would you have wanted? What additional
training do you still want?
Are
there work routines/schedules that you would like to see changed? How?
Are
there ground safety hazards on the station that "we live with" or
have come to overlook that ought to be corrected? Please name.
Are
there ground or flight procedures in use, which, in your opinion ought to be
changed to enhance safety? Please name.
Do
not deliver with Survey
Several separate results are obtained from a
safety culture survey using this Part 1:
(a)
A 'benchmark' safety culture score that can be compared with similar companies'
worldwide.
(b)
A means of comparing the views of management with those of staff regarding the
Company's safety culture.
(c)
A means of evaluating the results of any changes made to the company's safety
management system when a follow-up survey is carried out.
(d)
Identification of areas concern, indicated by "1" and "2"
responses which can assist in the allocation of safety resources.
(e) A means of comparing the safety culture of different departments and/or operational bases. The higher the value, the better the safety culture rating. Use the following as a guide only but an average company safety culture score of 93 is considered a minimum. Anything less would suggest that improvements are needed.
Poor
safety culture 25-58
Bureaucratic
safety culture 59-92
Positive
safety culture 93-125.
Organizations
with a poor safety culture treat safety information in the following way:
Information
is hidden
Messengers
are shot
Responsibility
is avoided
Dissemination
is discouraged
Failure
is covered up
New
ideas are crushed
Organizations
with a bureaucratic safety culture treat safety information in the following way:
Information
may be ignored
Messengers
are tolerated
Responsibility
is compartmentalized
Dissemination
is allowed but discouraged
Failure
leads to local repairs
New
ideas present problems
Organizations
with a positive safety culture treat safety information in the following way:
Information
is actively sought
Messengers
are trained
Responsibility
is shared
Dissemination
is rewarded
Failure
leads to inquiries and reforms
New
ideas are welcomed
The key elements of a safety management system can
be measured and the attached checklist will assist in identifying areas
(questions answered 'NO) that must be addressed.
(a) Is senior management committed to the Aviation
Safety Management Program?
Yes
No
(b) Is there a written aviation safety policy,
signed by the CEO?
Yes
No
(c) Has a safety manager been appointed?
Yes
No
(d) Is the safety reporting chain appropriate?
Yes
No
(e) Is the Safety Manager sufficiently supported
within the organization?
Yes
No
(f) Is there a Safety Committee?
Yes
No
(g) Is the Safety Manager credible?
Yes
No
(g) Is the Safety Manager an enthusiast for his or
her job?
Yes
No
(h) Are the roles and responsibilities of the
personnel in the Aviation Safety Management System documented?
Yes
No
(i) Are the values of management identified as
being safety oriented?
Yes
No
(j) Are sufficient resources (financial, human,
hardware) made available for the Aviation Safety Management System?
Yes
No
(k) Are there appropriate safeguards in place to
ensure that the Aviation Safety Management System itself is properly evaluated?
Yes
No
(l) Have appropriate standards been documented?
Yes
No
(m) Is there an appropriate Emergency Response Plan?
Yes
No
Hazard Assessment Procedures
(a) Is there an effective ongoing hazard
identification program?
Yes
No
(b) Does the hazard identification program include
a confidential reporting system?
Yes
No
(c) Are confidential reports properly
de-identified?
Yes
No
(d) Are hazards associated with contractors or
contracted agencies included in the Hazard Reporting System?
Yes
No
(e) Is there a procedure established for
acknowledging safety-related reports?
Yes
No
(f) Is there a process whereby the hazards are
continuously assessed for their risk potential (likelihood and severity)?
Yes
No
(g) Are the defenses against the hazards
identified?
Yes
No
(h) Does the process include the identification of
the need for further defences or for hazard avoidance?
Yes
No
(a) Is there an effective mechanism by which the
Safety Manager or the Safety Committee reports to the CEO and can make
recommendations for change or action?
Yes
No
(b) Is there an obligation on the part of the CEO
to give formal response to any safety-related recommendations?
Yes
No
(c) In the event that the CEO makes an unfavorable
response to a safety recommendation, is there a procedure whereby the Safety
Manager or Safety Committee monitors the matter until a resolution is reached?
Yes
No
(a) Are the results of hazard reports and safety
suggestions made available to the initiator?
Yes
No
(b) Are the results of hazard reports and safety
suggestions made widely available within the Company?
Yes
No
(a)
Is the process for risk assessment and management fully documented?
Yes
No
(b) Does the
Aviation Management System require the recording of identified hazards and
deficiencies?
Yes
No
(a) Is there a supply of safety-related literature
(e.g., periodicals, magazines, books, articles, posters, videos) readily
available to all employees who have safety responsibilities?
Yes
No
(b) Are employees encouraged and assisted in
attending training courses and seminars related to safety?
Yes
No
(c) Are employees trained in the procedures and
policy of the Aviation Safety Management System?
Yes
No
(a)
Are new employees given sufficient training and checking in their
technical duties prior to being permitted to operate either supervised or
unsupervised?
Yes
No
(b)
Is the continuation of training and checking of all employees adequate?
Yes
No
(c)
Are employees given sufficient training in new procedures?
Yes
No
(d)
Are trainers and checkers adequately trained and checked, both for
competence and standardisation?
Yes
No
Additional Comments:
Note: This audit should be accomplished by an assignee of the ESAP Committee and the auditor should use standard auditing techniques and interviews. If the interview indicates that a program exists, the auditor should investigate to ensure that it is actually implemented.
Management Structure
Does
the Company have a formal, written statement of corporate safety policies and
objectives?
Are
these adequately disseminated throughout the company? Is there visible senior
management support for these safety policies?
Does
the Company have a flight safety department or a designated flight safety
officer?
Is
this department or safety officer effective?
Does
the department/safety officer report directly to senior corporate management,
to the CEO or the board of directors?
Does
the Company support periodic publication of a safety report or newsletter?
Does
the Company distribute safety reports or newsletters from other sources?
Is
there a formal system for regular communication of safety information between
management and employees?
Are
there periodic company-wide safety meetings?
Does
the Company actively participate in industry safety activities, such as those
sponsored by Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), International Air Transport
Association (IATA) and others?
Does
the Company actively and formally investigate incidents and accidents? Are the
results of these investigations disseminated to other managers? To other
operating personnel?
Does
the Company have a confidential, non-punitive incident-reporting program?
Does
the Company maintain an incident database?
Is
the incident database routinely analyzed to determine trends?
Does
the Company use outside resources to conduct safety reviews or audits?
Does the Company actively solicit and encourage input from aircraft manufacturers’ product-support groups?
Management and Corporate Stability
Have
there been significant or frequent changes in ownership or senior management
within the past three years?
Have
there been significant or frequent changes in the leadership of operational
divisions within the company in the past three years?
Have any managers of operational divisions resigned from the company because of disputes about safety matters, operating procedures or practices?
Financial Stability of the Company
Has
the company recently experienced financial instability, a merger, an
acquisition or major reorganization?
Was
explicit consideration given to safety matters during and following the period
of instability, merger, acquisition or reorganization?
Are safety-related technological advances implemented before they are dictated by regulatory requirement, i.e., is the company proactive in using technology to meet safety objectives?
Management Selection and Training
Is
there a formal management-selection process?
Are
there well-defined management-selection criteria?
s
management selected from inside or outside the company?
s
operational background and experience a formal requirement in the selection of
management personnel?
Are
first-line operations managers selected from the most operationally qualified
candidates?
Do
new management personnel receive formal safety indoctrination or training?
Is
there a well-defined career path for operations managers?
Is
there a formal process for the annual evaluation of managers?
Is the implementation of safety programs a specific management objective considered in the evaluation?
Work Force
Have
there been recent layoffs by the Company?
Are
a large number of personnel employed on a part-time or contract basis?
Does
the Company have formal rules or policies to manage the use of contract
personnel?
Is
there open communication between employees and management?
Is
there a formal means of communication among management, the work force and
labor unions about safety issues?
Is
there a high rate of personnel turnover in operations and maintenance?
Is
the overall experience level of operations and maintenance personnel low or
declining?
Is
the distribution of age or experience level within the Company considered in
long-term company plans?
Are
the professional skills of candidates for operations and maintenance positions
evaluated formally in an operational environment during the selection process?
Are
multicultural processes and issues considered during employee selection and
training?
Is
special attention given to safety issues during periods of labor-management
disagreements or disputes?
Are
the safety implications of deteriorating morale considered during the planning
and implementation of reduction in work force or other destabilizing actions?
Have
there been recent major changes in wages or work rules?
Does
the Company have a Company-wide employee health maintenance program that
includes annual medical examinations?
Does the Company have an employee-assistance program that includes treatment for drug and alcohol abuse?
Fleet Stability and Standardization
Is
there a Company policy concerning cockpit standardization within the company’s
fleet?
Do
pilots/flight-operations personnel participate in fleet-acquisition decisions?
Relationship with the Regulatory Authority
Are
Company safety standards set primarily by the company or by the appropriate
regulatory authority?
Does
the Company set higher safety standards than those required by the regulatory
authority?
Do
the Company’s safety standards meet or exceed U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations
(FARs)/European Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs) criteria?
Does
the Company have a constructive, co-operative relationship with the regulatory
authority?
Has
the Company been subject to recent safety-enforcement action by the regulatory
authority?
Does
the regulatory authority refuse to recognize the licenses issued by some other
countries?
Does
the Company evaluate the licensing requirements of other countries when
deciding whether to hire personnel who hold licenses issued by those countries?
Does
the Company consider the differing experience levels and other licensing
standards of other countries when reviewing applications for employment?
Does the regulatory authority routinely evaluate the Company’s compliance with required safety standards?
Operations Specifications
Does
the Company have formal flight-operations control, e.g., dispatch or flight
following?
Does
the Company have special dispatch requirements for ETOPs, RVSM and other
special programs?
Does
the regulatory authority determine fuel/route requirements?
If
not, what criteria does the company use?
Does
each crewmember get copies of the pertinent operations specifications?
Safety Office Audit
Is
the supervisor/senior manager involved in the flight safety program and
supporting it?
Have
all parts of the company safety program been implemented in this organization?
Is
this organization getting adequate guidance and assistance from the flight
safety office?
What
training is provided to Flight Safety Officers? Is it adequate?
Does
Flight Safety Officer have adequate staff?
What
is the quality, depth and effectiveness of the safety inspection program? Is it
doing any good?
What
is the quality and depth of incident investigations?
Are
recommendations resulting from accidents and incidents being followed?
Is
the Hazard Report program effective? Is anyone using it? Is it doing any good?
Is
flight safety information being distributed to those who need it?
Is
there a flight safety committee? Is it effective?
Is
there a plan for accident notification and investigation?
Are
all reportable incidents being reported and investigated?
Do
the people in this organization understand the company safety policy?
Do
the pilots support the company flight safety program?
Are
new personnel receiving safety training?
Flight Operations Department
Does
this organization have an appointed Safety Committee member?
Are
the pilots receiving the safety material that is sent to them?
Is
there an effective pilot reading file?
Are
pilots receiving safety information during briefings?
Is
there a flight safety bulletin board?
Are
the pilots familiar with the company safety policy and the company flight
safety program?
Are
they using the Hazard Reporting system?
Are
they aware of recent aircraft accidents?
Are
they familiar with current company flight safety standards?
Do
new pilots receive safety orientation and training? Are records of their currency in various types of operations
maintained?
Does
their schedule provide adequate crew rest?
Do
they have adequate opportunity for meals?
Do
they have adequate personal equipment?
Do
they have access to medical personnel?
Do
they know what to do in case of accidents of all types?
Are
accident/incident/injury records kept in this organization?
Does
this organization have regular flying safety meetings?
Are
all company aviation safety standards being met?
Operations and Maintenance Training - Training and
Checking Standards
Does
the Company have written standards for satisfactory performance?
Does
the Company have a defined policy for dealing with unsatisfactory performance?
Does
the Company maintain a statistical database of trainee performance?
Is
this database periodically reviewed for trends?
Is
there a periodic review of training and checking records for quality control?
Are
check pilots periodically trained and evaluated?
Does
the Company have established criteria for instructor/check-pilot qualification?
Does
the Company provide specialized training for instructors/check pilots?
Are
identical performance standards applied to captains and first officers?
Are
training and checking performed by formally organized, independent departments?
How
effective is the co-ordination among flight operations, flight training and
flight standards?
Operations Training
Does
the Company have a formal program for training and checking instructors?
Is
there a recurrent training and checking program for instructors?
Does
the Company have required training and checking syllabi?
Does
this training include:
Line-oriented
flight training (LOFT)?
Crew
resource management (CRM)?
Human
factors?
Wind
shear?
Dangerous
Goods?
Security?
Adverse
weather operations?
Altitude
and terrain awareness?
Aircraft
performance?
Rejected
takeoffs?
ETOPs?
Instrument
Landing System (ILS) Category II and Category III approaches?
Emergency
procedures training, including pilot/flight attendant interaction?
International
navigation and operational procedures?
Standard
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) radiotelephone phraseology?
Volcanic-ash
avoidance/encounters?
If
a ground-proximity warning system (GPWS), traffic-alert and collision avoidance
system (TCAS) and other special systems are installed, is specific training
provided for their use? Are there clearly established policies for their use?
Are
English-language skills evaluated during training and checking?
Is
English-language training provided?
At
a minimum, are the procedures contained in the manufacturer’s aircraft
operations manual covered in the training program?
Is
initial operating experience (IOE) mandated?
Is first/second officer IOE required to be conducted “in seat” rather than in the observer’s seat?
Are there formal means for modification of training programs as a result of incidents, accidents or other relevant operational information?
Training Devices
Are
approved simulators available and used for all required training?
Is
most of the Company’s training performed in the simulator?
Do
the simulators include GPWS, TCAS, background communications and other advanced
features?
Are
simulators and/or training devices configuration-controlled?
Has
the company established a simulator/training device quality-assurance program
to ensure that these devices are maintained to acceptable standards?
Does
the regulatory authority formally evaluate and certify simulators?
Flight Attendant Training
Do
flight attendants receive comprehensive initial and recurrent safety training?
Does
this training include hands-on use of all required emergency and safety
equipment?
Is
the safety training of flight attendants conducted jointly with pilots?
Does
this training establish policies and procedures for communications between
cockpit and cabin crew?
Are evacuation mock-up trainers that replicate emergency exits available for flight attendant training?
Maintenance Procedures, Policies and Training
Does
the regulatory agency require licensing of all maintenance personnel?
Does
the company provide formal maintenance training for all maintenance personnel?
Is such training done on a recurrent basis? How is new equipment introduced?
Does
the Company have a maintenance quality assurance program?
If
contract maintenance is used, is it included in the quality assurance program?
Is
hands-on training required for maintenance personnel?
Does
the Company use a minimum equipment list (MEL)?
Does
the Company’s MEL meet or exceed the master MEL?
Does
the Company have a formal procedure covering communications between maintenance
and flight personnel?
Are
“inoperative” placards used to indicate deferred-maintenance items? Is clear
guidance provided for operations with deferred-maintenance items?
Are
designated individuals responsible for monitoring fleet health?
Does
the Company have an aging-aircraft maintenance program?
Is
there open communication between the maintenance organization and other
operational organizations, such as dispatch? How effective is this
communication?
Does
the Company use a formal, scheduled maintenance program?
Are
policies established for flight and/or maintenance personnel to ground an
aircraft for maintenance?
Are
flight crewmembers ever pressured to accept an aircraft that they believe must
be grounded?
Are
flight crews authorized to ground an aircraft for maintenance?
Scheduling Practices
Are
there flight- and duty-time limits for pilots?
Are
there flight- and duty-time limits for flight attendants?
Do
the flight- and duty-time limits meet or exceed FARs/JARs requirements?
Do
flight- and duty-time limits apply regardless of the type of operation, e.g.,
cargo, passenger, ferry, and charter?
Does the Company train flight crewmembers to understand fatigue, circadian rhythms and other factors that affect crew performance?
Does
the Company allow napping in the cockpit?
Are
on-board crew-rest facilities provided or required?
Are
there minimum standards for the quality of layover rest facilities?
Does
the company have a system for tracking flight-and duty-time limits?
Has
the company established minimum crew-rest requirements?
Are
augmented crews used for long-haul flights?
Are
circadian rhythms considered in constructing flight crew schedules?
Are
there duty-time limits and rest requirements for maintenance personnel?
Crew Qualifications
Does
the Company have a system to record and monitor flight crew currency?
Does
the record-keeping system include initial qualification, proficiency checks and
recurrent training, special airport qualifications, line-check observations and
IOE observations for:
Pilots
in command?
Seconds
in command?
Flight
engineers?
Instructors
and check pilots?
Flight
attendants?
Does
the regulatory authority provide qualified oversight of instructor and
check-pilot qualification?
Are
the Company's simulator instructors line-qualified pilots?
Does
the Company permit multiple aircraft qualification for line pilots?
Do
Company check-pilots have complete authority over line-pilot qualification,
without interference from management?
If
the Company operates long-haul flights, does it have an established policy for
pilot currency, including instrument approaches and landings?
Does
the Company have specific requirements for pilot-in-command and
second-in-command experience in type for crew scheduling?
Publications, Manuals and Procedures
Are
all flight crewmembers issued personal copies of their type operations
manuals/FCOM and any other controlled publications?
How
are revisions distributed?
How
is the issue and receipt of revisions recorded?
Does
the Company have an airline operations manual?
Is
the airline operations manual provided to each crewmember?
Is
the airline operations manual periodically updated?
Does
the airline operations manual define:
Minimum
numbers of flight crewmembers?
Pilot
and dispatcher responsibilities?
Procedures
for exchanging control of the aircraft?
Stabilized-approach
criteria?
Hazardous-materials
procedures?
Required
crew briefings for selected operations, including cockpit and cabin
crewmembers?
Specific
pre-departure briefings for flights in areas of high terrain or obstacles?
Sterile-cockpit
procedures?
Requirements
for use of oxygen?
Access
to cockpit by non-flight crewmembers?
Company
communications?
Controlled
flight into terrain (CFIT)-avoidance procedures?
Procedures
for operational emergencies, including medical emergencies, and bomb threats?
Aircraft
de-icing procedures?
Procedures
for handling hijacking and disruptive passengers?
Company
policy specifying that there will be no negative consequences for go-arounds
and diversions when required operationally?
The
scope of the captain’s authority?
A
procedure for independent verification of key flight-planning and load
information?
Weather
minima, maximum cross- and tailwind components?
Special
minima for low-time captains?
Are
emergency escape routes developed and published for flights in areas of high
terrain?
Are
all manuals and charts subject to a review and revision schedule?
Does
the company have a system for distributing time-critical information to the
personnel who need it?
Is
there a company manual specifying emergency-response procedures?
Does
the company conduct periodic emergency-response drills?
Does
the company mandate airport-facility inspections?
Do
airport-facility inspections include reviews of Notices To Airmen (NOTAMs)?
Signage
and lighting?
Runway
condition, such as reverted rubber accumulations, foreign object damage (FOD),
etc.?
Crash,
fire and rescue availability? Navigational aids (NAVAIDS)?
Fuel
quality?
Dispatch, Flight Following and Flight Control
Does
initial/recurrent dispatcher training meet or exceed FARs/JARs requirements?
Are
operations during periods of reduced crash, fire and rescue (CFR) equipment
availability covered in the company flight operations manual?
Do
dispatchers/flight followers have duty-time limitations?
Are
computer-generated flight plans used?
Are
ETOPs alternates specified?