Aviation News – At the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Safety Symposium held in early April, speakers and participants shared important safety information, lessons learned, and opportunities for improvement. The symposium began with an acknowledgment that the business aviation industry hasn\u2019t gotten off to a good start in the first quarter, with three fatal business jet accidents and nine fatalities occurring in the U.S., up from two accidents and two fatalities during the same period last year.<\/p>\n
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Held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, not only was the ACSF Symposium an opportunity for business aviation operators to share safety ideas, but the organization also welcomed Embry-Riddle students to participate and learn more about business aviation safety. The event began on April 1 with a panel of industry experts sharing their career experiences, and this was well-attended by Embry-Riddle students who are interested in business aviation opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>The business aviation panel was especially helpful for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students. \u00a9 Matt Thurber\/AIN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Business Aviation Career Panel<\/h2>\n
Embry-Riddle students Turueno Garcia and Trevor Simoneau moderated the panel session, which featured Richard Meikle, FlightSafety International executive v-p of operations and safety; Joan Sullivan Garrett, MedAire founder and chairman; Megha Bhatia, chief science and chief marketing officer at JSSI; and Greg Johnson, COO of Tuvoli.<\/p>\n
The panelists shared experiences from their careers, responding to questions from Garcia and Simoneau, such as what they learned in college that they expected and didn\u2019t expect to learn; who they learned the most from early in their careers; the most impactful advice they received; what makes them leave fear of failure behind and try to bring their ideas into being; what they are excited about; problems they are trying to solve; and what they think about the new generations entering the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething I learned going through college was what’s my next immediate threat,\u201d said Meikle. \u201cEvery morning I’m looking at my calendar and saying what’s my next threat, knowing that the day\u2019s probably going to shuffle. Obviously, academic stuff is really important as well. But the other thing I think college teaches you is how to interact with other humans. And that is something that I think we are losing a little bit as a society because you walk into the student common and you watch them and probably 80 percent are on a headset or some device.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bhatia emphasized sales skills as a key learning opportunity. \u201cYou may be the smartest person in the room, but if you can’t get the point across clearly, effectively, and in a way that the audience can consume it, then it’s not getting across. You do not have to be in a sales job. And it may not be the core thing you want to do. But if you can do the sales job even for two hours ever in your life, do it. Their resilience, their rejection, get used to it. It’s a part of the process and knowing that, you\u2019re going to come out on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
Discussing the role of mentors helping her build MedAire over the past 40 years, Garrett said, \u201cThere have always been people, women in the industry that I saw that were so successful, and I said, \u2018If she can do it, I can do it.\u2019 And so I’m going to tell you, if I can do it, you can do it. You just have to have the vision. You just have to have the dream. You just have to have the desire to do what it takes to get to where you want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson credited mentors with believing in him but also highlighted his willingness as a young new entrant to aviation to take a risk and submit a business plan for an aircraft management operation, even though he had little experience in the field. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to make those leaps,\u201d he said. “I’m a big believer in that saying: luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Accidental Inspiration<\/h2>\n
Scott Griffith, founder and managing partner of SG Collaborative Solutions, shared two stories about events that shaped his career and led to the development of the aviation safety action programs (ASAP) that have helped make commercial aviation the safest mode of transportation.<\/p>\n
At age 17, Griffith was logging time toward his private pilot license and took off one day for a short flight to another airport. Not realizing that a front had gone through, he ended up landing with a tailwind and, while standing on the brakes and screeching to a halt at the end of the runway, his airplane\u2019s wingtip scraped the airport\u2019s wind tetrahedron. \u201cThe plane spun around and I came to a stop,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis old man came running out and yelled at me. \u2018What are you doing? Don’t you know you can’t land with a tailwind?\u2019 And he looked at me and he said, \u2018Are you okay?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
After Griffith assured him that he was okay, the man said, \u201c\u2018Well, let me help you paint that tip of your wing, and nobody has to know about it.\u2019 And I thought, oh my gosh, he just saved my entire career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Griffith could have kept this a secret, but he admitted, \u201cI went back and told the owner of the flight school what happened. And he said, \u2018Since you came forward, there will be no repercussions.\u2019 Had I not done that, I would carry that secret with me for the rest of my life. So flash forward about 20-some-odd years. When I went into the airline industry, I created a program for pilots that come forward and disclose not only the risks outside their cockpit but also the risks coming from themselves. And that was transformative for the airline industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other formative event was when Griffith witnessed an iconic, tragic accident, the Delta Flight 191 L-1011 crash at DFW Airport in Texas on Aug. 2, 1985, which was due to a powerful microburst downdraft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
While doing a walkaround of the Boeing 727 he was flying, Griffith saw the L-1011 burst out of the clouds, lower than he\u2019d ever seen such a large airplane. After hitting a building, the Tristar bounced back into the air, then crashed onto Highway 114, killing the occupant of a car and 136 passengers and crew.<\/p>\n
As Griffith stood there with the sun shining on the tarmac, he recalled, \u201cEverything\u2019s just normal.\u201d Then the wind from the microburst struck the 727, followed by a torrent of rain. Some passengers inside the 727 saw the fire, heard the sirens from the crash, and started heading for the exit, and some were panicking. After helping the passengers back into the terminal, he said, \u201cMy brain couldn’t get wrapped around what I had just seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event spurred Griffith into working on a laser-prediction system and his master\u2019s degree thesis. What struck him and still raises questions is that a well-equipped airplane piloted by a skilled crew with the best training in the world \u201ccouldn’t see\u2026nor understand the risk environment\u201d because the microburst essentially was invisible.<\/p>\n
The important issue is that accidents and incidents are what he characterized as \u201cthe tip of the iceberg\u201d that we can see sticking above the water. What organizations like ACSF are doing by creating a mechanism for members to share safety information is helping identify those invisible risks, the ones that live below the surface. \u201cThese are risks that live in your system and with your people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
SG Collaborative Solutions helps companies develop systems to mitigate these risks, by setting up a collaborative culture run by a reliability management team. \u201cI took the words from the ACSF call to action,\u201d he said. Before setting up a safety management system (SMS), he recommends developing a collaborative just culture program. \u201cBuild on that with your ASAP programs or FOQA [flight operations quality assurance] programs, align everything, and then integrate that into something called SMS.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we’ve introduced a term called RMS, which means reliability management system. And what is collaborative high reliability? It’s comprised of a collaborative just culture program, a reliability management team, and a reliability management system. It\u2019s evidence-producing because no one has done it until recently. We’ve had three organizations achieve it. [The RMS] is documented, monitored, measured, aligned, and integrated, and it’s the first integrated approach to get independently audited by a third party.<\/p>\n
\u201cReliable organizations involve more attributes than just safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flexjet\u2019s Just Culture<\/h2>\n
\u201cWhy do we do what we do?\u201d asked Kent Stauffer, v-p of safety at fractional-share operator Flexjet. Characterizing his presentation as \u201cobservations from an operator that has access to lots of mistakes,\u201d he explained, \u201cI\u2019m going to talk about how people fit into this model, why we do what we do, and what contributes to our errors. What are we trying to accomplish? We\u2019re trying to get to a high-reliability organization.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all don\u2019t have enough people,\u201d he acknowledged. While pilots have been an issue, \u201cDid you know the maintenance shortage is worse? The pilot gap is being shortened and will be solved quicker than maintenance.\u201d But there are also not enough people in air traffic control, at the regulators, and at companies that supply aviation, work at FBOs fueling aircraft, and teach.<\/p>\n
The latter is critical because so many new people are starting aviation careers and \u201cnow you have a knowledge gap,\u201d he said. Another gap is cultural, with people from different backgrounds coming together. \u201cYou still have not solved the issue yet to get to your high-reliability organization. It\u2019s not only not about people, not enough education, and what I see is not enough of the organizational structure to understand and compensate for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stauffer listed four attributes that Flexjet communicates to its people to help inculcate the company\u2019s safety goals.<\/p>\n
The first is to be fit for duty, and part of this means getting adequate sleep. Flexjet is developing its own fatigue management software to manage this critical issue because existing tools didn\u2019t meet the company\u2019s needs. \u201cWe\u2019ve found that when our pilots call in fatigued,\u201d Stauffer said, \u201ca high percentage of the time it involves something that’s absolutely uncontrollable, like the fire alarm went off in the hotel. Undiagnosed sleep issues are a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next is acknowledging your limitations. It\u2019s okay to say, \u201c’I\u2019m not okay.’ You can tell others about it. Don\u2019t be a martyr,\u201d he emphasized. Flexjet also teaches new-hire pilots to be willing to use tools like the go-around and saying \u201cunable\u201d to air traffic controllers. \u201cWe tell them, if you need to go around, you will not be penalized. We will reward you when you do: \u2018Phenomenal job, thank you very much.\u2019\u201d Controllers frequently give instructions that a flight crew might feel aren\u2019t suitable but, in the spirit of being helpful, will not refuse. \u201cThe answer should be \u2018No, we\u2019re not going to do that.\u2019 It\u2019s okay to acknowledge this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third is integrity. \u201cDo the right thing every time. You have to define it in your organization. That means that everybody has to understand what that is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being accountable is fourth on the list. Stauffer pointed out that pilots more often provide reports to Flexjet\u2019s ASAP, so it might be necessary to encourage other groups such as mechanics to participate more. \u201cRadically embrace a just culture. You have to define it. If we don\u2019t define, measure, and audit, do we really have one? You\u2019ve got to have something to define what it is you\u2019re expecting in your just culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stauffer is well aware of human limitations and offered some tips to overcoming these. Communication is key, but \u201cfirst by listening\u201d then by using standard terminology; \u201cturning our brain on\u201d instead of tuning out; not being accusatory; and avoiding emotions in written communications. We also need to recognize other people\u2019s strengths and understand the people we work with. Culture is key, he explained. \u201cIf you\u2019re blaming people, you\u2019re not learning anything. Just culture is exceptionally valuable, and the information you\u2019re getting from it is valuable.\u201d Finally, we must have empathy. \u201cYou can’t fire people who make mistakes, otherwise none of us would have jobs. You can\u2019t get to the root of it until you truly understand and care about when they make a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response to a question from the audience about the most outstanding learning that Flexjet has from its FOQA program, Stauffer said the company receives hundreds of reports to its ASAP per month. \u201cIt\u2019s invaluable.\u201d Many of the reports would never have come to light without the ASAP, and they have driven improvements such as new trip notes for specific airports. More importantly, the data from ASAP enables sharing within and outside Flexjet. \u201cData helps us get to where we need to go,\u201d he said. \u201cSharing is important.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/div>ACSF speakers (from left) Roger Cox, Scott Griffith, Kent Stauffer, and Scott Maurer. \u00a9 Matt Thurber\/AIN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Excursions and Incursions<\/h2>\n
Retired NTSB air safety investigator Roger Cox highlighted the risks of runway excursions and incursions, citing a number of accidents and takeaways from each that could have eliminated the risk factors that led to the accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most popular way to wreck a corporate airplane is an excursion,\u201d he said. Pointing to what seems like an increase in the number of such accidents, he explained, \u201cWe have to look at the risk factors, and how to figure out as operators what they are and what we can do about [them].\u201d<\/p>\n
One important takeaway from studying these accidents: \u201cYou can make your own commit-to-stop policy. It can be in the air but written in advance so that everyone knows and agrees to it and everybody understands what\u2019s going to happen. [An excursion with] low energy is better than high.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cox also recommends that pilots and operators take the time to study accidents without waiting for the final NTSB report, which is usually released up to two years later. \u201cLook at the accident database for your airplane. See how many times the crew misunderstood their own braking system. If you\u2019re not on speed in the touchdown zone, you\u2019re asking for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspiration from Tragedy<\/h2>\n
The second day of the ACSF Safety Symposium featured Scott and Terry Maurer, parents of Colgan Flight 3407 victim Lorin Maurer, highlighting issues facing families when accidents happen, especially given the poor business aviation record during the first quarter. Their presentation focused not just on the tragic accident that took the life of their daughter and the other 49 victims but on tools that they believe can help prevent accidents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tough subject,\u201d Scott Maurer said. \u201cI want all of you to know we\u2019ve done this many times, we want to do it for you, and it\u2019s also a way of us honoring those loved ones we\u2019ve lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so pleased yesterday that you started by recognizing the people who lost their lives [in the first quarter],\u201d said Terry Maurer. \u201cRemember them, say their names. If you can confront someone who has had a loss, they just want to talk about their loved one, so ask them.\u201d<\/p>\n
After detailing the painful circumstances of the accident and the initial poorly handled assistance given to the victims\u2019 families, Scott Maurer outlined his recommendations to the symposium attendees. \u201cIf an accident were to happen, or if something bad were to happen, one of the takeaways Terry and I think would be beneficial to you, number one, be a good listener. Information is critical. If somebody says, \u2018This is what I\u2019m looking for, I would like an answer,\u2019 you\u2019ve got to get them the right answer\u2026in a timely manner.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to communicate with compassion. Yes, you have a business to run. I use the phrase, \u2018There\u2019s a difference between no and hell no.\u2019 The attorney\u2019s going to be whispering in your ear saying, \u2018You shouldn\u2019t do this, you can\u2019t do that, no, no, no.\u2019 When I talk to CEOs and executives, my comment to them is, \u2018What would you do if it was your son or daughter, wife, cousin? Would you be wondering what your bottom line is going to be? Whether you\u2019re going to get sued? Heck no. You\u2019d do the right thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe compassionate. Make sure you\u2019re providing those basic needs. Terry and I didn\u2019t know it was time to go to bed; we didn\u2019t know it was time to eat. You\u2019ve got to help people survive those first couple of days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always like to say, empower them, let them make some decisions because that\u2019s empowering. What would you like? What are you looking for? Allow them to get back into getting to some control.<\/p>\n
He concluded: \u201cPut the families first, do not be defensive, do not impede the message, and I can\u2019t say enough, communicate, communicate, communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Maurers, whose daughter Lorin adopted the motto \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful day and it\u2019s great to be alive,\u201d Scott said, “Every day is not a beautiful day and it doesn\u2019t always feel great to be alive. But I\u2019m so proud to put that message out here because it meant enough to my daughter that she put it here, she put it there. And it gives you an alternative. You have a choice when you get out of bed in the morning, you can smile or you can frown. My daughter attempted to put a smile on every day and say it\u2019s a beautiful day and it\u2019s great to be alive and live life. And what we have found from so many people, as they share stories with us about their experiences with our daughter, is in 30 short years she led a pretty full life and we\u2019re so thankful for all the people who engaged with her and gave her a good life.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I do want to say to all of you: I want to challenge you. You had this conference for a good reason; you gathered here for a good reason. You got a lot of good tools. In two days you\u2019re going to go back to your old world, and by next week, maybe this didn\u2019t happen. Don\u2019t let that be the case. Please leave this conference and take a tool and something you got from this conference and maybe next year, [the organizers] can ask them to report back, \u2018What did you take away from last year that you put into your business to make it better?’ That\u2019s my ask.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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