Flight Safety Information October 12, 2010 - No. 209 In This Issue Australia steps up efforts to improve helicopter safety EU Aviation Authorities Refuse To Protect Whistleblowers ICAO Agrees To Step Up Aviation Security MOFA thanks diplomatic allies for ICAO support ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Australia steps up efforts to improve helicopter safety By Kate Sarsfield Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority is increasing its level of safety surveillance and focusing on the flying training standards of the local helicopter industry following a disproportionate number of accidents for the sector. Although helicopters make up only 12% of the country's aircraft fleet, they account for 25% of accidents, CASA director of aviation safety John McCormick recently told a helicopter chief flying instructor conference. Most accidents are attributed to wire strike, vortex ring/over-pitching, helicopter maintenance and controlled flight into terrain. "All these accidents can be prevented by improving training and concentrating on more than just the manipulative skill of the pilot," he adds. The helicopter industry is the fastest growing and most diverse segment of the industry, with a 58% increase in the Australian helicopter fleet since 2004, with close to two helicopters being added to the registry every week, says McCormick. The biggest change has been in the multi-engine offshore and medium-sized single-engine market, with the growth in the oil and gas industry set to continue for a number of years. In addition, the emergency services sector is modernising its fleet, while increasing numbers of helicopters are being used for firefighting each year. During the last fire season there was a fatal helicopter accident and a near fatal mid-air collision, notes McCormick. "Lessons must be learned and safety measures applied without the addition of restrictive legislation," he says. While the stock mustering sector has improved its safety record lately, there is an increase in the under-recording of hours on mustering helicopters, which has previously led to a high level of accidents, McCormick notes. As well as the growth in the sector, new helicopters have brought with them new technology, such as glass cockpits and low inertia rotor systems which require new approaches to training. McCormick says flying operations inspectors have noticed a falling trend in the knowledge of applicants applying for chief pilot positions, with deficiencies including in interpreting a terminal aviation forecast or area forecast and preparing a flight plan. The industry also faces problems associated with an ageing workforce, while CASA has struggled to recruit flying operations inspectors and flight training examiners to keep pace with the sector's growth. At the end of last year, the Flight Safety Foundation created the Australian helicopter Advisory Group to improve helicopter safety in the country. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/10/12/348367/australia-steps-up-efforts-to-improve-helicopter-safety.html [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103771915241&s=6053&e=001FkjsMcoLOardxEt73xpIgtzPJT5nVK2RJk3HDIVRtoIqL8amYbQE6wfnu-LE0ICS2ZusXclSkyH-73eIfquENV4V5JFhYTA4adM0b6XxjY4YaYO-LhcFpxtdDCVCenFgWwUB29268GfARviUH6uDnvwodWi_jek-my1wGh38toFsfcW2u9r8HudW854AKCgD5uSEG7xSTovoduqd7Ln6zMky1yeJzF70r_H8GVQYNEA8ubywRFOOCQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EU Aviation Authorities Refuse To Protect Whistleblowers By Mike Mitchell October 12, 2010 - Experience has shown that often before an aircraft accident occurs, a number of incidents and numerous other deficiencies have highlighted the existence of safety hazards. It is therefore in both the public and the aviation industry's best interests to gather better knowledge of these occurrences in order to facilitate analysis and trend monitoring with the aim of preventing the accident before it occurs. Europe's Aircraft Engineers International (AEI) and over 40 of its affiliates around the world are particularly concerned about the severe consequences suffered by those who report safety violations. During AEI's 38th Annual Congress in Hamburg, one of Europe's leading regulators refused to offer unequivocal support for whistleblowers. A whistleblower is a person who raises a concern about wrongdoing occurring in an organization or body of people. Usually this person is an employee and frequently face reprisal. The president of one of Europe's largest national authorities stated that the only thing authorities are prepared to do is remove the name of the reporter from the report. AEI highlighted the fact that within aviation maintenance, engineers are required to sign with name and personal number for any activity they perform. Therefore it is extremely easy for any airline or maintenance organization to uncover the whistleblower. In addition several other national authorities in Europe are known to be very careless when they handle confidentially reported information. Several colleagues have lost their job as a result of this carelessness. Unfortunately this attitude is widespread despite the European Commission introducing several directives designed to promote the collection of safety related data while protecting the whistleblower. AEI therefore urges all European regulators to revisit these directives and remind themselves of their responsibilities. EC Directives 216/2008 and 2003/42 not only require the protecting of the whistleblower but actually make the reporting of unsafe activities mandatory as it is clearly in the public interest to protect them from such activities. Therefore both lawmakers and regulators must work together to ensure the aviation community is free to highlight malpractice without having to fear personal consequences. When asked what kind of protection whistleblower can expect from national aviation authorities in Europe should they find themselves being punished or even fired as a consequence of reporting unsafe incidents, the silence was deafening. None of the European regulators reacted positively to this question with some even happy to state that you are on your own. However to ensure that safety remains paramount, AEI will set out a roadmap of actions on how to safeguard aircraft maintenance in the future by prioritizing the main areas of risk, highlighting weak regulations and those ignored by both airlines and regulators. AEI also calls upon regulators to place more distance between themselves and the financial aspects of keeping an airline viable. Regulators are put in place to regulate safety on the public's behalf and as such must ensure safety remains paramount. Commercially viable but unsafe airlines are not an acceptable option. AEI will continue to work in partnership with both regulators and industry to maintain the highest levels of safety, "pressure on our members to "shut up and be quiet" will no longer be tolerated". Shooting of any messenger is short sighted, not in the public interest and therefore doesn't have a place in the 21st century. The European Transport Directorate may wish to seek improvements in the protection of reporters within some of the current regulations but must also take its responsibility seriously by enforcing regulations in those countries that are unwilling or unable to implement change. In addition AEI in accordance with current European freedom of information regulations recently requested documents from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) relating to the audit and approval of foreign maintenance organizations. The low cost maintenance organizations concerned remain fully operational despite clear evidence of gross negligence and poor maintenance standards. EASA has failed to respond to the freedom of information requests within the prescribed 15 working days. Therefore not only are these maintenance facilities still active but they continue to maintain European registered aircraft as well. The lack of action from all involved regulatory authorities means that the alleged safety violations may still be on-going which could potentially endanger lives. AEI considers this behavior unacceptable and urges both urgent intervention and the releasing of the requested documents. Unfortunately this is not the first time EASA have refused to release documents which may potentially highlight a lack of will to directly confront safety violations. The EASA mission statement is "to promote the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation in Europe and worldwide". Delegates attending congress made it clear to AEI that they consider its time to deliver. Source: http://avstop.com/news_october_2010/eu_aviation_authorities_refuse_to_protect_whistleblower.htm [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103771915241&s=6053&e=001FkjsMcoLOappou9QWcXzhJFzktIFlV0L4Ssr0pVJ8ms6nfYG2wjH_QdKvi-YsvAtu132qC_Tfux5BkWKFDKwNL51AjcpkFh6RShXFlAMlo_3jU7P6CyMHWZdaE2GSTP5_NBFS1yan7XKCwKVMTltRVnNbfB-FmIb4Ps-8K0YJ1QB55Bubiq4fZf76nVPkZIkmTk0muEEITa2T-N440AUjA==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ICAO Agrees To Step Up Aviation Security The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted by consensus an unprecedented declaration on aviation security. The 37th assembly of the organization held in Montréal, Canada, endorsed the ICAO Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy (ICASS), a new approach comprising seven focus areas for the next two triennia. The international conference gave unanimous support for continuation of the Universal Security Audit Program (USAP). It adopted several resolutions on new programs and policies on safety management, which include standards on state safety programs, safety management systems and a continuous monitoring approach to safety oversight. The assembly endorsed the sharing of safety information. The United States signed an agreement with ICAO, the European Union and the International Air Transport Association on the sharing of safety information. In response to a botched terrorist attack on a U.S.-bound airliner on December 25, 2009, the global community united in bolstering worldwide aviation security standards. As every airport offers a potential entry point into this global system, every nation faces the threat from gaps in aviation security throughout the world. The assembly signed an agreement on international aviation and climate change. Delegates adopted a global commitment for collective action among countries around the world to limit and reduce carbon emissions from international aviation. ICAO recognized that further work is necessary to define the path forward on implementation and the United States affirmed its commitment to further efforts within ICAO. The U.S. was re-elected to the 36-member executive council, the steering body that sets the priorities and objectives for the organization. Delegates from 167 countries attended the Assembly. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that the outcome of the Assembly demonstrated how the safety of all international passengers becomes enhanced through multilateral diplomacy and negotiation. Source: http://www.rttnews.com/Content/CanadianNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1441492 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103771915241&s=6053&e=001FkjsMcoLOariAJhXyGoNv-FGzhG4DTxplLgIV3u0LUYnwhphIApszkItSovmPNgPJIcLyQh_AQjEBsWjkYaYKq3XEeh6fzToqSInCSYPGr3RIxkUowW6ECfPTgRlLiUib2rl8RvE7HAuIWKrxDfX37Z6OzmbMS1HoMWSna2TsSE9hJ3irB1_gg==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MOFA thanks diplomatic allies for ICAO support The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation Oct. 11 for the support of 17 diplomatic allies that backed Taiwan's bid to participate as an observer in the International Civil Aviation Organization. "We would like to extend our gratitude to the allies for their explicit support during the recent ICAO General Assembly in Montreal, Canada," the MOFA said. "Participating in the ICAO and bolstering international aviation safety remains a top priority for the ROC government." According to the MOFA, the allies expressed their support verbally or in writing, with Gambia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines employing both methods. Allies backing Taiwan's bid include Belize, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and the Solomon Islands. During the meeting, the allies argued that as Taiwan is one of the biggest air hubs in East Asia, its exclusion from the ICAO threatens the well-being of Taiwanese people and violates the organization's mission of maintaining global aviation safety. "We urge the international community to recognize Taiwan's bid for meaningful participation in the ICAO and include the nation in the world aviation system," the allies said. (JSM) Source: http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=121946&ctNode=445 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103771915241&s=6053&e=001FkjsMcoLOarJ2dMMAEFBWnUdsNx85pxpLkRY-w4zMNzRvijRDJOPXyyUWJCtVW0FcWC8nbhPVOnzwrAHk0GU3u-ht1gg_l8z3JVjLoVlysauBkMxdmJjm_Dnb93A5xY50O7SbhxS96OLU7S6bTdwuGgsO-EkidY2I93QLGRjGh0=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC