Safety Culture

A brief update on ...

Safety Culture 

A lack of accidents does not indicate safety.  It’s more than pretty airplanes, fancy uniforms, or a great marketing strategy. A safe airline will have a strong safety culture.  Safety culture is the essence of how the organization operates, and is identified by five critical sub-components to include a reporting culture, a just culture, a flexible culture, an informed culture, and a learning culture.

Reporting Culture

Reporting cultures exist where open communication and reporting safety related information is not only encouraged, but rewarded.  Ground floor employees are working in the field and are the closest to the operation, and the first to identify hazards. Operations must have systems in place for these employees to report without fear of retaliation.

Just Culture

A just culture is where fairness prevails and those people who report are listened to, right or wrong, there is always something to learn.  Honor, ethics, and leadership are the core of a just culture.  There are no special favors for the good old boys, everyone is a valued employee, and they all have the same opportunity as everyone else. 

Flexible Culture

In a flexible culture, leadership will adapt and shift from a hierarchy structure to a flatter structure where control passes to those employees making the decisions, where the system can adapt to 'on the spot decision making' versus an ivory tower mandate. Silos are replaced with a cross-networking structure. 

Learning Culture

A learning culture is where employees learn, grow, and improve the overall system. Every experience can be a learning moment, and information sharing is key. Without a strong reporting culture, that is flexible and just, learning will be hard pressed.

Informed Culture

An informed culture indicates that management has the experience and knowledge, not only about the technical aspect of the operation but they also understand the psychology of people. This knowledge is supported by diversity and subject matter experts, and will determine the safety of the organization.

 

The FAA states, “All levels of management must actively promote and provide leadership to foster a positive safety culture,” and further defines safety culture as, “the shared values, action, and behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to safety over competing goals and demands” (FAA, 2013a, p. 9).

Leadership is key to a Safety Culture 

DOT Safety Culture

The department of transportation (DOT) safety council identified the most critical elements of a safety culture:

1. Leadership is clearly committed to safety.
2. There is open and effective communication across the organization.
3. Employees feel personally responsible for safety.
4. The organization practices continuous learning.
5. There is a safety-conscious work environment.
6. Report systems are clearly defined and non-punitive.
7. Decisions demonstrate that safety is prioritized over competing demands.
8. Mutual trust is fostered between employees and the organization.
9. The organization is fair and consistent in responding to safety concerns.
10. Training and resources are available to support safety (FAA, 2013a, p. 9).

 

Why is Safety Culture Important?

Safety Culture is the foundation is of Safety Management Systems (SMS). SMS is an FAA mandate, required for all US airlines, January 2018, that will improve the safety of the operation.  However, without a Safety Culture, an SMS will be nothing but lip service.

Does your airline meet 

all aspects of a safety culture?

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene 

Author of:

Flight For Series

Flight To Success Be the Captain of your Life

I am Awesome. The ABCs of me. 

 

Reference: 

Federal Aviation Administration. (2013a, May 8). Safety Management System 8000.369A.  Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/order/8000.369a.pdf

Prevention of Accidents: CRM

CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:

As you know I am working on my second novel, Flight For Safety, the sequel to Flight For Control.  While many of us are impatient for the release, myself included, I cannot rush this novel. The message is essential.  

The Theme: Aviation Safety.  

Something not only pilots should feel passionate about, but passengers as well.  

Please welcome Captain Adelsohn once again, on  CRM:

"The Learning method in our every day job functions every day is a constant process that never ends.

 

As a professional  in our particular duties as Pilots, Flight Attendants, Maintenance etc., we must be constantly able to work together in a safety environment. This is even more important when you consider that this efficiency may depend our lives and the lives of others when we flying an airplane. 

 

Being updated every day as a Crew implies learning.
 

 

Today the constant development of aviation brings several extremely high loads of new responsibilities and tasks for those directly involved in the operation of an aircraft from the crew on board and ground maintenance personnel to air traffic controllers, to many others.

 

Aviation is not just boarding a plane, but also is to understand the principles that allow an aircraft to fly, but do safely. It is very important to understand the ability to understand the knowledge, as an airmen, why your aircraft fly, this emphasize how important it is that flight crews receive proper training and appropriate, not only to fly the aircraft correctly it is also to be prepare for any situation you will expect and resolve in any abnormal situation or circumstances that we can have during the flight.

 

From the beginning CRM, initially recognized as a Cockpit Resource Management. This concept after some years become much wider doctrine, being known until today as Crew Resource Management.

The CRM emphasizes the importance of using all available resources effectively to achieve air operations safer and more efficient. The goal of CRM is to improve every day the ability of the crew in a decision-making, administration and management of the resources available and have a good communication with the rest of the crew and other elements involved in the safest operation of the aircraft.

 

But CRM does not end here, because the operation is more deeply involved with two other important aspects in the training of flight crews, human factors and the organizational culture ,it is very important issues.

Statistically, the vast majority of air accidents occurring at present point one of the main cause are 80 % sometimes described as a Pilot Error. All of us in the aviation environment related or not specifically, when a plane crash we wonder many things and questions, when we read in the newspapers or listen to reports on the media the phrase that summarizes what happened  when an airplane crashed we think was a pilot error????? . Not necessarily incompetence or lack of experience. Some factors influencing a decision-making, that overload the workload and that in many cases inevitably lead to the accident.

 

In the meantime the organizational culture, which reflects the regular of social and intellectual expression of a group or organization that determines the assertiveness of all the members working together to prevent incidents or accidents. We need to focus and have a good safety business plan in the organization, defining a good Safety Program and the Safety Management System that includes the safety policies and objectives, Safety Promotions, Safety Assurance, and Safety Risk Management.

 

A change in the attitude of the group is reflected in a change in the attitude of the individual.

 

Today all this reflects that CRM tries to change the attitude in making decisions based on custom and culture, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to handle the resources and skills of the crew.

 

Today I am sharing this article and this reading to know a little more of this doctrine, to understand more deeply the importance of constant training and updated and motivated me to write these words, which targets to encourage everyone to read and share with others in the aviation community to learn to do the same. To be UPDATE, implies learning, Aviation Safety is a commitment. Safety First.

 

Eliminate cultural barriers it is very important for crews and safety, also establishing the importance of everyone’s contributions. Creating a spirit of shared commitment recognizing cultural differences and reinforcing a positive safe behavior. Remember always, upon you think you do not learn more of aviation, it's the time to retire because you're about to make the big mistake of your life."

Luis Adelsohn

What are you doing to improve Aviation Safety?  

Enjoy the Journey
XO Karlene

ATLA Push For Small Airlline Safety

Latin America and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA)

What are They Doing for Safety?

 

Last month we got to meet Luis Adelsohn. Captain Adelsohn is all about safety and has been sending me interesting articles. 

Please enjoy and remember...

"Safety is the Answer to the Question."

"Leaders of ALTA called on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to create a set of safety standards for airlines not eligible for the organization's existing IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program. 

Roberto Kriete, president of ALTA, says that, while accident rates in Latin America are declining, the fact that there is a subgroup of non-IOSA airlines, including those not eligible for the program, with a rate four-times higher than IOSA member carriers is disturbing, during the opening session of the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum 2012 in Panama City.

He calls on Tony Tyler, director general of IATA, and others to create such a program for carriers that are ineligible due to their size or the type of aircraft that they fly.

Tyler tells Airline Business that this is an issue around the world and that IATA is working to address the situation.

IATA is looking to collaborate with other organizations who have a focus on smaller aircraft regarding developing a comparable IOSA program, says the organization. IATA would then be able to validate and endorse this standard.

Speaking to Latin America's civil aviation authorities, Kriete says that countries should replicate the model set by Brazil, where IOSA participation is a requirement and not an option for airline certification.

ALTA has a goal of reducing the accident rate of member airlines to that of those in the USA by 2014.

Airport infrastructure and air traffic control are also concerns for ALTA. Kriete says that 30% of the airports in Latin America are "congested" and that the local aviation authorities have been slow to address capacity issues. He says that there are only 16 airport construction projects in the region while China, which also expects significant airline growth, has 94.

"The surroundings that airlines operate [in] is not always optimal for airline operations," he says. Kriete says that air traffic control is still subject to gaps around the region and that many of the systems have not been upgraded with the latest technology.

 

Fuel costs, regulatory harmonization, airport concessions and the environment are also concerns for the region's airlines looking forward, he says.

Latin American airlines have made significant strides during the past decade, despite these concerns. The number of city pairs connected to the rest of the world have increased to 953 from 687, low-cost carriers have boomed to about 50% of the market from a negligible market share, the average age of the fleet has decreased by more than four years and the region's carriers have grown considerably, says Kriete." 

Source : Airline Business Magazine.

Safety Information is a free Service of:
CRM 4 PILOTS. 

The best Safety device in any Aircraft is
a well-trained Safety Pilot!

Experience Needed

 I received this message, attached to the following recount of an accident.

"This happened this morning in KPWT (Bremerton WA).  Names have been removed.  While I am not certain, I am willing to bet that said "Ferry Crew", and I use the term as loosely and derisively as possible, was more than likely one of these 500 hour wonders who offer to "ferry" for free to build time.  Well, so much for at least one jackass's airline aspirations.  

You get what you pay for.   

The lowest bidder is very rarely the best choice.  When will people start to understand this.  This guy buys a 100k airplane, and wants to save a couple hundred dollars on an experienced crew.  Unfortunately this isn't limited to the little planes, I see the same crap from idiots that want to fly 737s for cheap or free half way around the world.  I don't see plumbers coming to your house for free to "build time".  Don't work for FREE and more importantly, don't hire those that offer to do so.  Rant over"

____________________

Hello to all,

I spent the better part of this morning looking for accelerated aluminum particle damage to aircraft in the hangar and on the ramp. A Cessna 172 took the brunt as it had the unfortunate proximity to the particle accelerator (I never knew that aluminum and steel could have such a severe reaction to each other). A broken windshield, passenger window and various skin dings to the Cessna was the worst to any of the recipient aircraft.

 

The hangar (the steel in the equation) lost a plastic window with frame and some door panels. A portion of aluminum was found on the ramp around a 100 yards away. Unfortunately Raytheon has discovered (yea I know it is Hawker now, but they don't fit my story for you pilot types, so shut up!) better ways to accelerate uranium and cause more damage. I mean that said velocity inducer is no longer in production and am afraid that the once pristine machine will head for salvage...

 So as Paul Harvey used to say "Now for the rest of the story"

 The Baron had been in our care for years, owned by a loving "Heavy" driver and if there was a problem with the girl, the response was "Fix It!". Sadly the circle of life was completed and a new owner found in Texas. Apparently the aircraft was removed from its hangar by the ferry crew, tried to start and did not due to a dead battery. We "jump" started it, brought it down to the maintenance hangar, put a charger on and it seemed to be "happy" at 5:30 pm last night. Around 6:00 am this morning the ferry crew tried to start the RH engine (enough battery to prime, but not to start), decided to "hand prop" the bugger and move on with no one at the controls...

Brakes set, Throttle WELL ADVANCED, "HOT" mags, hydrocarbon vapors coursing through the induction system with sufficient oxygen for stoichiometric combustion...
 HMMMMMM...the three sides of fire; FUEL, OXYGEN, HEAT (spark, yes just a Little one as the snap of the impulse coupling is heard, I think the declaration would be "OH SHIT") .

 

 

Anyway the RH engine drug her around to the right as it was parallel to the hangar, prop hit the window frame scattering shrapnel, pushed the hull up on the left wheel loading it laterally and breaking the trunion causing it to collapse, while the nose strut received a lateral "shot" also (torn sheet metal on nose bowl and tunnel). 

Both wings, fuselage and tail feathers on LH side are wrinkled, RH engine blew the starter off the adapter (I first saw a snap ring on the ground and thought "that's from the starter adapter", retaining a bearing and then it was "No way is that what I think it is, it has to be from the collapsed strut!), broken engine mount legs. She rattled so hard that two of the radios in the panel started backing out of their trays...just plain or is that plane ugly!

 

The good news is that neither of the ferry crew were with a scratch! Fuel load was all she could take (100 plus gallons) and no fire!!! What looks like dirt, is absorbent from the fire department to contain the leaking fuel.

Interesting commentary. What do you think?   

How do you build time to get the experience needed? 

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene  

FLIGHT

The Movie 

I've been sitting on writing anything for a few weeks because I did not want to give a spoiler alert. But I feel compelled to speak out about the movie Flight.

This movie was not what I was expecting. I was thinking more aviation. However, it was a substance abuse movie. They did an excellent job from the perspective of an addict. Could a pilot be an addict? Or course.  The believability of the plane flying upside down with a broken jackscrew was a stretch. But with most movies, and stories, we need to remember that they are entertainment and liberties are taken for added drama.

The reality of truth is woven through the story.

 

During the crash scene, I was very uncomfortable. I squirmed in my seat, closed my eyes, and covered my ears once. This was a powerful few minutes. I'm wondering if non-pilots had the same visceral reaction. The impact of the crash brought tears. Just as Kathryn had said, in Flight For Control, "It's the silence after the crash that is the most painful."

This flight had the same problem that caused Alaska Airlines' Flight 261 horrific crash in January of 2000, and it's said to be representing that flight. One of my sisters is a Flight Attendant at Alaska and she lost friends and coworkers, as did many. Entire families perished together. Until you're living there, you cannot imagine. Please join me for a moment in memory of lives lost.

 

Back to the movie.

A few technical details were in error. But to make it larger than life for the screen, most people would not notice. The errors made the drama more real to the general public. The writers made the captain a normal person with human problems. Pilots are not Gods and this movie displayed that truth.

The movie got panned because they say it was not believable due to the substance abuse of the captain. Maybe today this type of behavior is not as prevalent with flight crews, on the job, but it was. And many pilots still drink. Every once in awhile they catch one going through security. And when there is a problem, they hide it. This is a very human issue.

Pilots bathe in large amounts of stress daily, and they all deal with it differently.

The interesting thing is that the word in the sky is that our union 'ALPA' is very upset with the movie because it "made pilots look bad." Personally, I didn't think it made the pilots look bad, it made the union look bad. You will have to see the movie and make your own decision on that. The funny thing is, I hadn't thought anything unusual about their behavior until my husband and I were discussing the movie and he pointed out how it did make them look less than stellar.

Should you see it? 

Most definitely. 

The million dollar question is...

Could you see Flight For Control as a movie?

If your life touches the airline industry, and you want to be in the movie, email me at FlightForControlTheMovie@gmail.com and tell me who you are, and that you want to be in the movie. We are going to cast the memorial scene with real airline people. And those who love planes, we'll sneak you on the set too!

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene

Airport Safety!

My friend Robin sent me the following message. I think in the view of aviation safety, this is a must to pass on. When Safety is in question, we must take action. 

Help remove big threat to aviation safety at the Schellville Airport in Sonoma County.  Why?  Yes, this is a small general aviation airport, who cares?  I do, for one for three (ok, 4) reasons:

1. Someone knowingly built a clear hazard to aviation safety when they willfully violated the law constructing a solid log fence across an active runway overrun.  Someone who is trying to make an emergency landing or regular landing on this runway will unlikely see the fence before it is too late and hit it.  The people who constructed the fence do not care that the presence of the fence may kill people.  (They also had a gun target that had people shooting live ammunition across the approach path of the other runway at Schellville.  They only took it down when Channel 7 said they were going to put it on TV.

2.  These same people violated several zoning and land use laws building a business with a huge pond that will attract additional water fowl and other birds that are a hazard to aviation.  Their property directly abuts the airport (which was there more than 30 years).  They couldn't get the permits they wanted to and built anyways and are attempting to get the land re-zoned.  If they accomplish this, it will put all general airports in the State of California (like Sonoma Skypark where we have our C-120) at risk by setting a precedent to change zoning laws in attempt to close airports and develop the land.

3. If the airport closes, the income lost from the airport to the county, which will be much more than the new business (Leland Fly Fishing) generates, can easily cause my taxes to go up.

4.  General principle. They have completely disregarded the county, state, and federal laws, the building and use permit process that you and I have to follow.  They seem to feel he is above the law.  

That just pisses me off to no end.

There is a lot more information below.  This is a link to a piece Channel 7 did a month or so ago that is about 10 minutes long.  Thanks for reading this.  And if you do sign, please forward on to anyone you think might care about airport safety.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Find Sonoma County Airport here

Thanks!  Robin

Robin, Flight to Success and all the followers are on this for you. Together we can make a difference~

XO Karlene

Suicide By Plane

Last week I was Googling in search of a Piper FBO in the Seattle area. What should pop up? A post by Charles O'Rourke, Suicide by Airplane.  Thirty plus events of pilot suicides by planes. What this list did not include were the vast number of Airline pilot suicides. Stress can break even the strongest person. We only hope that the pilot doesn't break on the plane like the JetBlue Captain.

Six months have passed since that JetBlue Captain experienced a mental breakdown during his flight. We should not allow is for this event to be buried and forgotten. Mental health of our crew-members is essential for the safety of the flying public.

For those who have not heard the story, (and recently I have met many who haven't) this is a great recap:

JetBlue pilot subdued by passengers during mid-air rant (3:33)

Stress is in the Air:

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Public Stress grows prior to, and during, the U.S. presidential elections. This has everything to do with the slam campaigns and focus on the negative, instead of what we can do for our country and the world. People become angry. Arguments ensue. Union busting is a hot topic. Blame as to why companies can't make it. Unemployment. Housing market. Pay cuts. Pension loss. Taxes. The list goes on. This type of commentary is mostly propaganda to create anger and instill feelings of doomsday, instead of proposing ideas of change for the positive.

  

Pilots are not exempt from this added stress. 

  

What do you think we can do during these challenging times to eliminate stress? How do you avoid stress? How do you deal with the election year, to keep yourself mentally healthy and protected? 

This protection is not about avoiding hard topics. It has everything to do will looking at the issues and dealing with what you can, and finding solutions that work. But the reality is... this type of talk creates added stress. 

Most pilots keep the political and religious discussions out of the flight deck. But they can't keep the destruction of their jobs and what is happening in their industry, impacting their families. How should pilots stay protected?

A glimpse inside the world an airline pilot lives can be found in Flight For Control. The theme of my first novel: Mental Health. How far can you push a pilot before they break?  While the story is fiction, truth lays within the pages.

Difference between Boeing and Airbus FMS

The Reasons I'm in Cyprus: 

Kayla and Ellis

Miles

The Bones being researched

The Reason I'm Posting Training Blogs:

 Answers to yesterday’s quiz.

• What is the major difference between the FMS phases of flight?  The major difference between the FMS phases of flight is the target speed (magenta bug) in that flight phase.

• How can you tell which is the active flight phase? The target speed is the primary indicator, but the active flight phase is also printed in green at the top of the PROG and PERF pages on the MCDU.

• When the approach is activated, what is the target speed? When the approach phase is active the target speed is VAPP The magenta bug. 

• If the target speed is Green Dot, what is the active phase of flight? The target speed in the go-around phase is Green Dot. (Unless you are holding, have a speed constraint, or speed limit.)

• How do you shift to the climb phase, from a go-around? Three ways:  Change the destination and enter a new cruise altitude.  Activate the approach and enter a new cruise altitude.  Or activate the alternate.

How well did you do on the quiz?

Both Airbus and Boeing use flight phase changes as a means of managing the speed profile as the flight progresses. The takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and go-around flight phases each have a unique speed profile. Each FMS changes the flight phases to reflect the desired speed profile for that portion of the flight.

A primary difference between Boeing and Airbus airplanes is the automatic target speed selection, and how it is handled by the FMS.

The greatest differences occur in the approach phase. Many Boeing models rely primarily on pilot selection with the speed window. The Airbus allows the FMS to manage the target speed all the way to touchdown. But like Boeing, Airbus also enables the pilot to manually select the speed at any time.
This design allows normal deceleration with flap extension that requires no manual speed selection. It also enables automatic selection of approach speeds with wind additives due to the groundspeed-mini function, protecting against decreasing headwind windshear on final approach.

Now you know the difference… tomorrow we will fly the Airbus A330 Fully managed.

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene

Flight To Safety first draft: 93,523 Words