16894/Flight Safety cover 29/8/08 10:38 Page 1 ON COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFETY AUTUMN 2000 This issue of focus sponsored by: THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ISSUE 40 UNITED KNIGDOM FLIGHT SAFETY COMMITTEE ISSN 1335-1523 16894/Flight Safety 24pgr 29/8/08 10:40 Page 1 The Official Publication of THE UNITED KINGDOM FLIGHT SAFETY COMMITTEE ISSN: 1335-1523 AUTUMN 2000 ON COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFETY FOCUS on Commercial Aviation Safety contents is published quarterly by The UK Flight Safety Committee. Editorial 2 Editorial Office: Ed Paintin Chairman’s Column 3 The Graham Suite Fairoaks Airport, Chobham, Woking, Surrey. GU24 8HX Is My Top Management 4 Tel: 01276-855193 Fax: 855195 “Safety Management Orientated”? e-mail: [email protected] Mike Overall Web Site: www.ukfsc.co.uk Office Hours: 0900-1630 Monday-Friday Crew Resource Management 7 Advertisement Sales Office: Stalled at a Crossroads and Seeking to Interpret the Markers Andrew Phillips Pieter Hemsley Andrew Phillips Partnership 39 Hale Reeds CRM? .....It’s For The Birds! 1 0 Farnham, Surrey. GU9 9BN Tel: 01252-712434 Mobile: 0836-677377 Corporate Killing - Directors Liabilities 1 1 FOCUS on Commercial Aviation Safety is Steven Kay QC circulated to commercial pilots, flight engineers and air traffic control officers holding current licences. It is also Book Review 1 3 available on subscription to organisations Human Factors in Multi-Crew Flight Operations or individuals at a cost of £12 (+p&p) per annum. The Quality Choice 1 5 Alan Munro FOCUS is produced solely for the purpose of improving flight safety and, unless copyright is indicated, articles may Leading the Way Towards Safer Flying 1 8 be reproduced providing that the source Dave Wright of material is acknowledged. Publication of an advertisement, letter or One-Size-Fits-All Maintenance Problem 1 9 announcement in FOCUS does not necessarily imply that the UKFSC They Were Just Little Problems - Nothing Major 1 9 endorses any such advertisement, letter or announcement. UK Flight Safety Committee Members 2 0 Concept and Design of New Look FOCUS acknowledgement to: Legal Adviser’s Column 2 2 RAI Design Peter Martin Unit 1, Kingsmill Park London Road, Loudwater High Wycombe. HP10 9UB UKFSC Seminar - Aviation At Risk 2 3 Tel: 01494-537100 Fax: 01494-537200 email: [email protected] Printed by Woking Print and Publicity Ltd Tel: 01483 884884 Front Cover: Embraer RJ 145 Regional Jet 1 16894/Flight Safety 24pgr 29/8/08 10:40 Page 2 Editorial New Millenium - New Image The discerning reader probably noticed We will continue to change the picture on We do not intend to stop here in the that the layout of the cover of this edition the front cover for each issue and are development of FOCUS. It is our of FOCUS has changed. As you read on offering advertisers the opportunity to intention to attract more advertising in you will also see that the internal layout is sponsor an issue at very good rates. For order to improve the magazine further. A different too. No doubt you will be asking their sponsorship they will get to choose laminated cover and the use of better yourself “Why the change?” the front cover picture and have a full- quality paper would enhance its look and page advertisement on the back cover. In feel even more but these changes will be addition they will have the opportunity to subject to the amount of advertising we publish an article in the next issue of the can attract. Some time ago the United Kingdom Flight magazine on condition that it has a Safety Committee’s Communications relevant safety message and does not Sub-Committee was given the mandate blatantly advertise their product. to look at improving the magazine. We I hope you enjoy our ‘new look’ wanted to make the magazine more eye FOCUS! catching and easier to read. As a result, much discussion and investigation has You will find the inside layout more taken place and we believe that the end pleasing to the eye. This is achieved by result achieves these aims and much having a masthead across the top of the more. page that incorporates the name FOCUS and focal point (the bright star). At the bottom of the page a band in our corporate colour containing the page Some may say, “What was wrong with the number with the logo above completes old style magazine?” The answer to that the image. The text is laid out in three is simply, “Nothing”. It has served its columns (left justified) and the spacing of purpose well and has been in existence the text allows more white space making for 39 issues over a period of 10 years. At it more inviting and easier to read. the time it was a giant leap forward for the Flight Safety Committee and under the editorship of Roy Humphreyson, Executive Manager, it achieved an The UKFSC logo will replace excellent reputation. It is acclaimed by the FOCUS logo to signify some as “the best flight safety magazine the end of an article. in the world.” The move to full colour raised the overall It was however felt that after 10 years it image of the magazine to a higher plane. was in need of a revitalisation and face- This now means that photographs and lift. I hope that the readers will feel this graphics will enhance the articles far has been achieved. more and will give a much more professional appearance. The name of the magazine is FOCUS on Commercial Aviation Safety and over We are pleased to announce that starting the years it has become known as with this issue we will be featuring a FOCUS. In order to strengthen this we regular article by our Legal Adviser - Peter have changed the emphasis of the text in Martin. Peter hopes to use this instrument the title to highlight this. to bring to the notice of our readers, legal matters of interest and importance. Peter has a unique style of conveying the “message”. I hope that you enjoy reading them. 2 16894/Flight Safety 24pgr 29/8/08 10:40 Page 3 Chairman’s Column Flight Data Monitoring by Captain Tom Croke The current development in recording lessons learned, all have an important operating procedures and safety flight data has enabled greater bearing on the way in which the system is “thresholds” laid down by the individual capabilities in the area of Operational viewed by those who use it. operators. To take these and try to apply Monitoring, Flight Operations Quality them, across the board, would be Assurance and Flight Operations Data inappropriate. However, the potential to damage, or even destroy, those systems Analysis. The software and hardware The slow development in the adoption of already operating is very real. developments have meant enormous this, probably the greatest single advance advances in the scope of the data that in safety ever, indicates the enormous can be recorded and also advanced the sensitivities and anxieties that need to be ease with which this data can now be resolved through understanding and It is to be hoped that before any such read. The cost of such a facility is now dialogue before its acceptance. When proposals are advanced, full discussion within the reach of a greater number of coupled with corporate fears about the will take place with those currently airlines. damage any leakage of such information operating these invaluable safety tools may cause, it is probably unsurprising lest unintended, but fatal, damage is that we are as far along as we are at this inflicted. However, this is only one side of the point. equation. To allow such a system to operate requires a company to commit to the culture of retribution free reporting, A recent move by one regulatory authority and adequate resources to fully exploit to obtain access to such information the benefits of such data. There must be disturbs me. The threat it poses to the absolute trust between the pilots and the advances to date far outweigh any company before such a system can gain perceived safety dividend that might the confidence of line crews. The manner accrue to the wider aviation community. in which the analysed data is used and, The reason I say this is that the more importantly, the manner in which the parameters and filters set in such crews are dealt with in implementing the systems usually reflect the standard 3 16894/Flight Safety 24pgr 29/8/08 10:40 Page 4 Is My Top Management “Safety Management Orientated” ? by Mike Overall Much has been said recently about air often exists in organisations which have Dangers of motherhood and apple pie operator’s safety cultures and the need weak safety management. A good safety for a more formalised approach towards ethos, based on the professionalism A safety management system is managing safety. The industry is inherent in the industry, can prevent essentially about having effective grappling with the problem of how best to accidents. It can also camouflage the management control over safety. develop aviation safety management inadequacies and sins of top systems which meet the CAA’s management. However, it is a poor and expectations. At the same time, the CAA unreliable substitute for an effective safety is trying to clarify what its expectations management system (SMS), which is One must be wary of the danger of losing mean in practical terms. driven by a competent top management sight of this objective and being misled team. by common use jargon. Motherhood statements about “the Safety Culture commitment of management to safety”, It would be unwise to regard a sound “leadership” and “safety is paramount”, safety culture solely as some tangible although relevant, do not constitute an It is much easier to talk about the concept outcome which can be project managed, effective top management safety culture.