Page 21 - Forum-2021-JanToMarch

1549 in the U.S. on Jan. 15, 2009, and
serious incidents indicated that flight
crews have to be flexible and adaptable,
think outside the box, work as a team,
and communicate effectively in order to
cope with situations well beyond their
individual expertise. Such abilities could
reduce the risk, probability, and/or se-
verity of accidents.
The investigation of aircraft accidents
and incidents, an important reactive
component of the elements contained
in the safety management systems
framework, allows the identification of
the latent conditions and active failures
contributing to the mishap. In addition,
such a process often uncovers other
deficiencies and hazards that, although
not a causal factor to the mishap, could
become a contributing factor in future
safety occurrences if not effectively A slide shown during the authors’ ISASI 2019 presentation.
addressed. This process can support
top-management (e.g., new and/or
updated safety processes) and even state a significant enhancement in aviation competency-based education program
(e.g., new policies to promote safety) safety. It translates the organization’s could provide pilots with technical and
decisions regarding the development of safety concerns into effective actions to nontechnical competencies needed to
mitigation strategies and corresponding mitigate hazards. safely and efficiently operate in a highly
effective allocation of frequently limited The benefits of an effective SMS complex social-technical system. De-
resources. include compliance with regulatory veloping a competency-based training
Therefore, in a “safety management requirements, improved productivity program can be daunting. The following
environment, the accident investiga- and morale, a healthy safety culture, best section outlines the development within
tion process has a distinct role, being use of the resources available, and more a collegiate aviation flight training pro-
an essential process that deploys when business opportunities leading to a com- gram.
safety defenses, barriers, and checks petitive advantage. Most importantly, a
and counterbalances in the system robust SMS will reduce the risk (proba- Competency Development in
have failed.” Nevertheless, findings of bility and/or severity) of aircraft acci- Collegiate Aviation
a well-conducted aircraft accident (or dents. SMS comprises four key compo- By 2036, the aviation sector will need
incident) investigation process will be nents: safety policy and objectives, safety 554,304 new pilots, 106,800 new air traf-
transferred throughout the organization risk management, safety assurance, and fic controllers, and 1.3 million aircraft
so that everybody will be aware of haz- safety promotion. Part of safety pro- maintenance personnel. Boeing’s Pilot
ards and associated risks within specific motion is the process of training and and Technician Outlook forecasts there
areas of operation. Additionally, find- education. is a need for 790,000 new pilots, 665,900
ings will lead to new or updated safety Often, conventional flight training new technicians, and 923,179 new cabin
training so that personnel have the skills, requirements generally consider only the crewmembers by 2037. However, focus-
knowledge, and abilities to perform their so-called “technical skills” and knowl- ing on U.S.-based demand versus supply,
duties efficiently and safely. Safety pro- edge. Yet, pilot competencies in impor- it is estimated that the demand is about
motion efforts are paramount to advanc- tant areas, such as leadership, teamwork, three times the supply. As a result of this
ing desired outcomes. resilience, and decision-making, are
frequently not explicitly addressed. The massive gap in supply, there is a severe
aviation system is reliable but complex. pilot shortage across the nation, and
Safety Management Systems (SMS) Thus, it is unrealistic to foresee all possi- this issue has garnered attention from
SMS is a “formal, top-down business-like ble aircraft accident scenarios. After all, the mainstream news media. As a result,
approach to managing safety risks. It there are many organizational variables most of the national and global conver-
includes systematic procedures, prac- that could have a detrimental impact in sations are focused on quantity rather
tices, and policies for the management the flight deck of an aircraft. than quality of the workforce. However,
of safety (including safety risk manage- Nevertheless, empirical evidence educators and researchers in several
ment, safety policy, safety assurance, indicated that high-quality education industries have advocated competen-
and safety promotion).” It is a tool that and flight training have a more positive cy-based education for decades to focus
establishes processes to identify hazards impact on aviation safety and efficien- on quality.
and mitigate the associated risks with cy than accumulated flight hours. A In the aviation industry, ICAO and

January-March 2021 ISASI Forum • 21