Pilot Commentary: Safety: Powered by Pilots
By Capt. Charles Hogeman (United), ALPA Aviation Safety Chairman
Like flying, safety doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s an active process that requires a pilot to recognize situations that are out of the norm and act with skill and judgment to correct them. In a world of ever-increasing precision, this becomes even more vital as small deviations can have larger implications in today’s increasingly complex airliners and airspace.
That’s why ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO) needs your help. The ASO urges you to report all safety issues to your carrier’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). In Canada, there’s ongoing efforts to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS) throughout the industry using the same philosophy as ASAP to create suitable environments in which voluntary reporting is promoted.
ASAP at your airline is foundational to ALPA’s efforts to greatly improve safety, but it only works when pilots fuel it with information. That information is then de-identified, and the pilot is afforded enforcement-related incentives—critical elements as pilots must be assured that they can file a report without fear of retaliation.
More reports equal more safety improvements because individual reports build “big picture” trend datasets. From those, improvements can be studied, recommended, and implemented.
ALPA is pressing for all ASAP reports to be automatically accepted into ASAPs, rather than some being filtered before full consideration. It’s vital to capture that information first and exclude it only if the Event Review Committee finds it doesn’t adhere to program guidelines. Including every report will ensure that they all receive equal opportunity to provide valuable information to government and industry.
Combining multiple data sources, like de-identified ASAP data, plus weather and radar data, builds a more comprehensive picture of the national airspace system (NAS). Fusing the data together will advance safety analysis to the next level by identifying systemic risks in operations.
While testing this concept, ALPA identified aircraft misconfiguration issues happening during takeoff. While such errors are rare, they’re extremely hazardous if a flight crew doesn’t recognize them right away. Safety analysts determined the cause for the misconfiguration—rooted in the airport operating environment—and this will likely result in changes to help pilots do their job better, without assigning blame.
Of course, a well-trained and proficient pilot is paramount for ensuring the safe operation of our aircraft. ALPA continues to successfully oppose the efforts of some industry stakeholders to undo the safety gains related to pilot training and qualifications that Congress enacted in 2010. Current regulations that require pilots to obtain an ATP or restricted ATP, based on experience and collegiate learning, have improved airline safety in recent years, a correlation even critics can’t decry. As part of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee, ALPA is actively engaged in any discussions and proposals that would amend these requirements.
Today, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) technology and development are progressing rapidly, and the new FAR Part 107 regulations govern their use. But due to political pressure, recreational sUAS pilots are virtually unregulated and lack adequate motivation to comply with rules and limitations to ensure safety. All sUAS operators must understand that they are players in an aviation endeavor and must play by the rules.
ALPA is urging that commercial sUAS operators be required to have the same levels of experience as those required for piloted aircraft. We have significant concerns with licensing regulations that don’t include practical testing, flight instruction, or logged piloting experience. Some industry experts believe that the only requirements for piloting a sUAS weighing 55 pounds in the NAS should be to present a photo ID, complete an online application, and pass a written test. We disagree.
The debate over sUAS integration is far from over. ALPA anticipates that the FAA will kick-start additional sUAS operational rules either through rulemaking or advisory committees. ALPA will lobby to be included in any discussions because our pilots have the knowledge and insight needed to ensure that any new policies and rules that are instituted will enhance the safety of the NAS.
This year’s Air Safety Forum is a perfect venue to discuss ideas that can advance our cause. I look forward to seeing you all there.
