FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION’S DR. SHAHIDI reviewed the safety data for Year 2023, commends the industry for a year without fatalities in international commercial aviation; HOWEVER, he warns:
. “COMPLACENCY is a stealthy threat that can erode safety and quality unless it is actively COUNTERED WITH A ROBUST SAFETY CULTURE
His prognosis, 03.11.2024, was confirmed by problems, apparently systemic, experienced by BOEING and UNITED. The comments and criticisms reported in excerpts from four articles confirm the FSF’s President’s warning.
Clearly, SAFETY CULTURE, SMS and the supporting systems have not been completely inculcated in some major aviation concerns. As with any creating of a rigorous set of values, these basic principles must be adopted by every from
- the Board,
- to the C-Suite,
- to all of management’s strata—all levels,
- to shop stewards,
- to the men and women who do the basic, yet most important work,
and no profession or job category is exempt- maybe the function is not directly involved in operations or production- ALL ARE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT A CONSTANT, COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY CULTURE.
So, what is this amorphous thing– SAFERY CULTURE? It cannot be completely defined without context. Dr. Shahdi did not define it in specific terms. Anyone, who hands you a generic program and manuals, has not been washed in essence of this discipline.
Creating this intangible spirit begins with an honest assessment of your current status and determining what to build on, reinforce and change aspects of your organization. A 3600 across all disciplines team performs these seminal steps. Being part of the company, being critical of other offices and finding solutions is a difficult assignment. Objectivity may be challenged and a menu for establishing the CULTURE may benefit from an outside process guide.
Random examples of good and bad:
- SAFETY CULTURE is not a fancy poster!!!
- SAFETY CULTURE isnot a well written manual of policies and procedures that sits on a shelf!!!
- SAFETY CULTURE is not an annual speech by senior management!!!
- SAFETY CULTURE cannot exist with an adverse relationship between management and unions!!!
- SAFETY CULTURE is not an SMS review team that does not actively review reports on a timely basis AND fails to announce all actions, especially the remedial recommendation. ISOLATED.
- SAFETY CULTURE is a line manager who sees a positive safety action by one of his team and immediately rewards her with a favorite latte and cookies.
- SAFETY CULTURE is an employee reward plan that measures real time, positive QA testing but does not punish time taken to get it right.
- SAFETY CULTURE is an atmosphere in which UNIONs encourage their members to submit safety suggestions and in which MANAGEMENT provides immediate responses, formalizes that recognition, and implements well-designed changes.
- SAFETY CULTURE implements frequent, relevant safety briefings using recent positive examples as well as reviewing SMR remedial actions.
- SAFETY CULTURE is a senior executive walking to the gate who sees FOD blowing around on the tarmac and walks to the FOD to remove it.
- SAFETY CULTURE is a pilot who recognizes that one of his peers is experiencing problems and who discretely goes to the base flight operations manager to help the distressed pilot.
- SAFETY CULTURE is reading about an incident of another airline and entering a recent similar experience in your ASRS and/or VDRP plus flagging the similar situation to the other carrier.
SAFETY CULTURE is an ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE (AE) who is visible to all, establishes clear policies and procedures. The AE allocates resources ensuring that safety is an integral part of the organization. She or he must foster an environment where employees are empowered to prioritize safety without fear of reprisal. As trust is a cornerstone of effective safety leadership. AEs must earn the trust of the employees, enabling smoother implementation of safety policies and obtaining necessary approvals. When trust exists, employees are more likely to comply with safety instructions and procedures. While safety managers focus on compliance with regulations, AEs must actively promote safety as a core value. They seek ways to enhance safety protocols and mitigate hazards proactively, rather than merely reacting to incidents.
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Monday, March 11, 2024
The FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION (FSF) 2023 SAFETY REPORT, issued today, reveals a positive milestone: no fatal jet airliner accidents occurred in the international commercial airline industry during the year. However, while this is encouraging, recent close calls and two accidents in 2024 serve as reminders that the industry cannot afford to become complacent. IT MUST REMAIN VIGILANT TO PREVENT ANY EROSION OF ITS SAFETY CULTURE AND SAFEGUARD ITS SAFETY MARGIN.
“Despite last year being among the safest in aviation history in terms of accidents and fatalities, it’s crucial to acknowledge and address the warning signs that were present in events that narrowly avoided disastrous outcomes,” said Foundation President and CEO DR. HASSAN SHAHIDI. “COMPLACENCY is a stealthy threat that can erode safety and quality unless it is actively COUNTERED WITH A ROBUST SAFETY CULTURE. Complacency can lead to shortcuts, degradation of quality, neglect of procedures, poor communication, and a delayed response to escalating risks. Failing to rigorously reinforce a strong safety culture can become the weakest link in the safety chain.”
Based on data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) database, the report highlights that there were 94 accidents across all types of airliner operations in 2023, with no fatal accidents involving jet airliners. However, there were seven fatal accidents involving turboprop and piston engine–powered airliners. Additionally, corporate jets, utilized in various operational roles, were involved in 32 accidents last year, seven of which were fatal.
Accompanying the release of the 2023 Safety Report is an interactive dashboard that offers insights into accident data spanning the past six years. Users can search this dashboard using various parameters, such as type of operation, region of the world, phase of flight, and accident type or end state (e.g., turbulence-related, runway incursion or excursion, loss of control). This comprehensive report and dashboard provide information covering all types of airliners capable of carrying at least 14 passengers, as well as a diverse range of corporate jets.
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FAA chief calls out ‘issues around safety culture’ at Boeing
“…There are issues around the SAFETY CULTURE in Boeing. Their priorities have been focused on production and not on safety and quality…And so, what we are really focused on now is shifting that focus from production to safety and quality…”
“” And there’s nothing wrong with production, but it has to follow safety, ‘he said…”
Whitaker asked “if, despite the heightened criticism on Boeing, it may be ‘too big to fail.’”
“Economics isn’t part of my portfolio, but I would say they’re too big to not make a good airplane. They have all the resources they need,” Whitaker responded. “There’s no reason they can’t make a good airplane, and that’s our focus right now.”
FAA chief says factory visit shows Boeing’s focus on production over safety
“Well, really looking for that indicator of a safety culture. So before going out on the floor of a manufacturing floor, you would expect a thorough safety briefing. That wasn’t part of the process. And then reviewing the floor, expected a lot of conversation around quality assurance and safety and again, that wasn’t there. It was all about production. And there’s nothing wrong with production, but it has to follow safety,” Whitaker explained.
He added: “I think it really shows how the MINDSET HAS BEEN ON PRODUCTION, AND I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE EXPECTED AT LEAST MORE OF A SHOW OF FOCUS ON SAFETY AND THAT WAS LACKING.”
United Airlines Faces Safety Concerns
‘In recent weeks, multiple videos and articles have surfaced over the internet involving United Airlines and their incidents. The carrier has racked up five incidents over the past couple of weeks, posing travel and safety concerns to consumers. “
United Airlines CEO responds to persistent safety problem
Safety incidents have ‘sharpened our focus,’ United Airlines CEO says
“…Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety,” Kirby wrote. “While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus.”
… Kirby further said that it is “reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups.”
This will manifest itself as an extra day of training for United pilots in May and reworking the training curriculum for newly-hired maintenance technicians to be more centralized.
United Airlines’ Safety Letter
“Of all the things that make me proud of our team at United Airlines, I’m MOST PROUD OF THE CULTURE we’ve built around the safety of our employees and our customers.
“SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY AND IS AT THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING WE DO.
Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety. While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents HAVE OUR ATTENTION AND HAVE SHARPENED OUR FOCUS.
“Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and USING THOSE INSIGHTS TO INFORM OUR SAFETY TRAINING AND PROCEDURES ACROSS ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS. This is in addition to some changes that were already planned, including an extra day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May and a centralized training curriculum for our new-hire maintenance technicians. We’re also dedicating more resources to supplier network management.
“WE EMPOWER OUR TEAM TO SPEAK UP AND RAISE THEIR HAND IF THEY SEE SOMETHING WRONG. You can be confident that every time a United plane pulls away from the gate, everyone on our team is working together to keep you safe on your trip.
“In the past few years, we’ve done a lot at United to build a new culture, improve our business and earn your trust. I’m confident that we’ll learn the right lessons from these recent incidents and continue to run an operation that puts safety first and makes our employees and customers proud.
“Thank you for flying United, and I hope to see you onboard soon.”
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