What the Jeju Crash exposed about IASA and USOAP
A tragic accident exposed some serious questions about the SAFETY of a country’s aviation technical competence. This tentative conclusion conflicts with two safety assessments- FAA and ICAO. Does this dissonance raise questions about the efficacy of these reviews?
The Accident
►A South Korean airliner survived when the passenger jet crash-landed at the Manu Airport. The Jeju aircraft skidded down a runway at Muan International Airport on its belly before bursting into flames. The plane slid on its belly at high speed, hitting an earthen embankment and erupting into a fireball. ◄
The post-accident preliminary findings have pointed to the localizer embedded in a concrete embankment. The Republic of Korea has responded with an immediate campaign to remove these unsafe installations and replace them. A judgment to which all commenters agreed
Republic of Korea’s analysis and response:
South Korea Plans to Overhaul Airport Structures After Fatal Jeju Air Crash
Seven domestic airports, including Muan, were found to have embankments or foundations made of concrete or steel that needed to be changed, the ministry said in a statement.
It added that it would prepare measures to improve the structures by this month and it aimed to complete the improvements by the end of 2025. It did not provide details of the planned improvements.
Aviation safety experts have criticised the placement of the embankment at Muan airport and said it likely raised the death toll of the crash, which killed 179 of the 181 people on board.
Concrete installations found near 7 airport runways: Transport Ministry
Seven out of 14 South Korean airports have been found to have installed concrete STRUCTURES SIMILAR to those involved in the recent deadly Jeju Air crash, according to a government inspection released Monday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s weeklong review revealed that nine facilities at seven airports have LOCALIZER HOUSINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO BREAK UPON AIRCRAFT COLLISION AND REQUIRE URGENT IMPROVEMENTS.
Survey of Korean airports finds 8 more hazardous structures like one in Jeju Air crash
A complete examination of landing system localizers at 13 airports throughout Suth Korea by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) showed the need for improvements to nine structures at seven airports, including Muan International Airport.
This means that in addition to the concrete barrier that was cited as an exacerbating factor in the recent fatal crash of a Jeju Air flight at Muan, eight other examples of dangerous localizer structures were also present at other airports. The MOLIT announced plans to amend the structures in question within the year.
Transport ministry to overhaul safety systems for air, ground transport in 2025
Structures that POSE RISKS TO FLIGHT SAFETY, such as concrete mounds housing localizer equipment, will be removed or rebuilt.
One such structure, a 2-METER-HIGH CONCRETE STRUCTURE at Muan International Airport, has been cited as one of key causes for the deadly Jeju Air crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800 flight on Dec. 29.
Similar structures exist at three other airports in Korea, the ministry said earlier.
Additionally, 18 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITIES WILL UNDERGO DETAILED INSPECTIONS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RISKS, INCLUDING STAFFING SHORTAGES, by the end of this month.
What FAA’s IASA does and Found
…The traveling public expects aviation to be the SAFEST MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AROUND THE WORLD, and the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment program – called IASA – is one of its proven, longstanding instruments to MAKE SURE THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE MET.
Through this shared commitment among the FAA and civil aviation authorities around the world, the IASA program helps identify areas to strengthen aviation safety oversight and meet the United Nation’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards….
Those eight critical elements include:
- Primary aviation legislation
- Specific operating regulations
- State civil aviation system and safety oversight functions
- Technical personnel qualification and training
- Technical guidance, tools and the provision of safety critical information
- Licensing, certification, authorization, and approval obligations
- Surveillance obligations
- Resolution of safety concerns
- Category 2, Does Not Comply with ICAO Standards: FAA inspectors assessed a country’s civil aviation authority and determined that it does not provide safety oversight in accordance with ICAO standards.
This rating is applied if one or more of the following deficiencies are identified:
…the CAA lacks the technical expertise, resources, and organization to license or oversee air carrier operations;
…the CAA does not have adequately trained and qualified technical personnel;
…the CAA does not provide adequate inspector guidance to ensure enforcement of, and compliance with, minimum international standards;
An IASA inspection includes an EVALUATION OF AIRPORT AIR NAVIGATION AS WELL AS COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS, which include the operation and maintenance of air navigation facilities Program.
What ICAO found
ICAO has a similar program “universal Safety Oversight Audit program and the Republic of Korea exceeded the global average in all categories!!!
The vagaries of multiple 3rd party inspections[1] of one sovereign by another is a topic frequently discussed here:
- After 20 years of #ICAO auditing, is it time to reassess the #USOAP contribution to #global #aviationsafety #faa #easa #iata #civilaviationauthorities
- Global airline safety –measured at the civil aviation authority level of at the air carrier? #iata does a good job- is #faa IASA, #icao USOAP and/or #easa TCP needed or redundant?http://jdasolutions.aero/…/reflections-on-the-global…/
- #IASA #FAA #USOAP #icao #easa #iata should these audits become more granular–pilot experience, pilot fitness, etc.? #aviationsafety #b737http://jdasolutions.aero/…/indias-slow-response…/
- Poor #pilot skills, #fraudulent #atp licenses with passing grades from #EASA #FAA and #ICAO time to revise audits to more robust and holistic reviews #blacklist #IASA #USOAP #IATA #global #aviationsafety #CHANGEhttp://jdasolutions.aero/…/the-revelations-in-the…/
Reading through the ICAO and FAA assessment checklists reveals that the “auditors” assignments deal primarily with policies, regulations, training, statutes, paperwork, standards, etc. These are relatively objective indicia—more checklists than substantive judgments.
As know has been revealed, Korea had multiple instances of airport infrastructure installed that posed risks to aircraft and passengers. The FAA website indicates that its officials are assigned to evaluation airport air navigation as well as compliance with international safety standards. GIVEN THE GOVERNMENT’S ADMISSION THAT AS MANY AS 9 OF THEIR LOCALIZERS WERE EMBEDDED IN CONCRETE, ONE MUST QUESTION WHETHER THE IASA INSPECTIONS WERE ANYTHING MORE THAN CURSORY.
[1] EASA has a RED LIST for foreign carriers.
