ECAST #3-08 MEETING AT EASA
UKFSC CE MEETING SUMMARY
· The Agenda for the Meeting.
· The action from #2-08 for UKFSC to consider championing the Ground Safety WG was addressed in that the UKFSC would not be able to provide adequate resources to achieve the aim. Nonetheless the UKFSC website and magazine resources were offered to support ECAST outputs and surveys.
· ECAST Priority #1 SMS
o It was important that all international SMS methodologies were harmonised FAA/EASA/TCCN/ICAO and the NAAs. An FAA update on their SMS intention and plans would be provided at the next ECAST meeting.
o
Presentation from Boeing on US
SMS developments. Explained that Boeing receives 400k reports each year from
11000 ac operating worldwide - of which 2500 are incidents creating around 180
action plans. The plea is for a balance between oversight and regulation and
that the interface between manufacturers and airlines is key.
o
SMS must be flexible and
adaptable to meet the needs of all sizes and shapes of organisation.
·
SMS WG Output
o
The chair of the ECAST SMS WG
briefed the latest position. His aim throughout was to produce practical guidance
which provided typical AMCs. He had also
used the SMS work already published as much as possible and that which was
already in use around the world.
o Four packages of work underway: A review of current procedures, identification of best practice, future hazard identification and risk assessment which involved all in the company.
o The culture of any company was seen as the platform upon which a successful SMS should be built.
o Current SMS reviews would be deposited on SkyBrary.
o Best practice would be developed for companies with up to 20 employees and for those with 20+. The CEO would be the target for taking responsibility for SMS implementation and drive.
o Risks would be transmitted up to the Board and Action Plans with the necessary resources to address risk would be pushed down from the Board.
o The SMS WG Outputs would be pushed out for ECAST comment in December 2008. The advice would be web-based and would be available alongside the AMCs and Rulemakers outputs. The SMS WG guidance would be in line with the current rules but could be used to have the rules changed if best practice highlighted such an opportunity.
· From JARs to IRs on Management Systems and Authority Requirements.
o NPAs for organisation and Authority requirements would be published for comment shortly. The basic regulation would be in 4 parts Part FCL and Part Med Part Ops 3rd country reqs - Authority reqs Organisational reqs. These would be underpinned with AMCs and guidance.
o Principles will be a total systems approach, standardisation, safety management and oversight.
o
Essentially, the national
Competent Authority will judge the
· Update on EASA Rulemaking Extension into ATM and Aerodromes.
o EASA is expected to move into regulation of aerodromes and ATM using safety legislation currently under construction at the EU.
o There is no ground handling regulation in the legislation.
o The aim is for all paved aerodromes with the capability of launching ac above 2750kg to be covered.
o There will be no military involvement and national differences will be allowed under ICAO.
o The standard combination of Essential Requirements, Implementation Rules and AMCs will be developed and targeted at the Airport Operator.
o Each aerodrome will have a single certification procedure but this will be issued and oversight exercised by the National Authority.
o Close scrutiny of the NPAs was advised!
· ECAST Priority - Ground Handling
o The ECAST Safety Analysis Team is producing a matrix of GH initiatives and who was driving them.
o
The meeting advocated the need
to push and extend current initiatives rather than starting new ones. Use of
ISAGO was recommended as an excellent starting position. Also pushed the need to use one of the
established teams to co-ordinate GH outputs. The
o There was consensus that GH was ripe for regulation and that an NAA conference could provide further guidance to ECAST in due course.
o The ECAST team agreed to lodge best practice on GH onto the EASA CIRCA website and to approach GHOST to lead the ECAST working group bringing together ISAGO, IATA and GHOST initiatives. The aims are to identify best practice and promote them and to spot potential gaps.
o The draft Terms of Reference for the GH Safety WG.
· The FAA Rep briefed the meeting by detailing some US FAA initiatives.
o The introduction of ASIAS this is a programme which encourages the exchange of safety information data and analysis between airline companies and the manufacturers.
o It was also being used as tool to direct studies into known risks such as runway safety and terrain awareness warning systems.
o A programme known as RNP was also mentioned which it claimed had resulted in 29000 less unstable approaches since its introduction.
o The IACA Rep concluded the meeting by briefing on the significant level of GH damage caused to his members airlines.
o In a survey of his 40+members, 536 incidents had been identified with damage costing from $25 to $3.5M and took an average of 62 hours to fix!
o Of these incidents, 20% had not been reported at the time.
o The full report, including analysis of costs, repair times and the airports involved.
Rich
Jones
Chief
Executive
UK
Flight Safety Committee