Page 28 - Forum-2020-JulyToSeptember

NEWS ROUNDUP

Attention Society Executive, State, Regional, Working Group, presenters who each briefly gave their perspective of the subject
under discussion. The speakers represented SIAs in Europe and
Committee Officials, and Corporate Member Representatives the United States, regulators, aircraft and engine manufactur-
ers, operators, and training organizations. Delegates had been
Please ensure your listing on the Forum “ISASI Information”
pages and on the Society website is accurate and current. Send preassigned seating so that each table had representatives from
any required corrections to ISASI@erols.com. across the aviation industry. Following the presentations, each
table addressed several preset questions followed by a plenary
discussion.
Major Safety Agency Changes in Argentina One of the main points from the workshop was that aviation
safety is about managing risk; and while regulators, manufactur-
Daniel Barafini, president of the Society’s Latin American Region- ers, operators, and safety investigators are all focused on this aim,
al Council, reports that there has been a reorganization among there can be, at times, conflicting priorities. The manufacturer
Argentine government agencies responsible for aircraft accident and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency may need to ad-
investigation. A new agency was created as a multimodal organi- dress the continued airworthiness of the fleet and the confidence
zation that will investigate aviation, highway, railway, and marine of the public, while the national regulator and the operator might
accidents and events. The new agency is Junta de Seguridad have to address the operator’s safety management system. At the
del Transporte (JST-Transportation Safety Board). The Junta de same time, regulators, the manufacturer, and the operator will
Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación Civil (JIAAC), which need to provide assistance and technical advice to the independ-
was covered in the April–June 2020 issue of the Forum, is now the ent state accident/incident investigation authority. The timely
National Department of Investigations. exchange of information through complex communication
Barafini notes that he will no longer be in charge of the
National Investigation Department, but will be the safety and channels can result in misunderstandings, with the risk of inad-
vertent disclosure of sensitive or proprietary information. The
accident investigation advisor for the JST and will assist the involvement of an SIA normally helps to balance the commercial
transfer of aircraft accident investigation expertise and experi- pressure and provide a conduit for sharing information.
ence to the other transportation modes for which JST is now During the investigation, often only the original equipment
responsible.
manufacturer has the necessary expertise and test facilities to
examine design-related contributory factors. This can some-
ESASI Provides Summary of 2019 Workshop times pose a challenge to investigators in maintaining their
independence, but it is normally balanced by a team approach
Olivier Ferrante, president of the European Society of Air composed of independent accredited representatives. The SIAs
Safety Investigators (ESASI), provides an executive summary have a broader validation process and generally need time to
of the proceedings of the ESASI workshop “Safety Investigation review testing and work undertaken by the manufacturer. During
Throughout the Aircraft Life Cycle—Design for Safety” held in this review, the SIAs may be seen as delaying the progress of the
Derby, UK, on May 22–23, 2019. The full report is available at investigation and release of safety information.
https://www.esasi.eu/images/Derby2019/Derby_Workshop_Re- Safety recommendations were a key part of the investigation
port.pdf. process for effecting change and improving safety, provided they
The workshop was split into three sessions, each of which are issued in a timely manner. However, to be totally effective it
lasted half a day. The first two sessions focused on the current is important that the SIA consults with the recipient of the safety
process of identifying safety issues and ensuring that lessons recommendation during the drafting stage. The work of the
learned are fed back into the design specifications. The third European Network of Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authori-
session focused on the effectiveness of the interactions among ties (ENCASIA) was recognized in improving the quality of safety
the state investigators, regulators, manufacturers, and operators recommendations by publishing documents on guidance and
and questioned whether investigators had the necessary compe- best practice.
tencies to investigate design aspects. In addressing the question of how to improve relationships
The three sessions were between the parties, it was agreed that this required trust,
• Session 1. How can the investigation of design aspects be
enhanced to improve safety throughout the life cycle of an education, and commitment. Regular communication and
aircraft? collaboration on smaller events, such as serious incidents, allows
the different parties to understand each other’s processes and
• Session 2. How effective are safety recommendations and challenges. Investigators should develop a greater understanding
safety actions related to aircraft design?
of the design and continued airworthiness process and the devel-
• Session 3. How can we further improve the relationship opment of complex aircraft systems. Manufacturers can facilitate
among investigators from the safety investigation authori- this aim by arranging appropriate training and liaison visits
ties (SIA), manufacturers, regulators, and operators?
for state investigators. Attendance at seminars and workshops
Each session was led by a moderator who gave an introductory and supporting major accident exercises were also considered
presentation setting out the main points, followed by four or five essential preparation for the different parties to work together on
28 • July-September 2020 ISASI Forum