The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has released its annual list of Top Safety Focus Areas, addressing the safety issues facing business aviation operations.
The NBAA Safety Committee has also evaluated accident and incident statistics, operational safety data and robust hazard reporting information.
Ed Bolen, NBAA president and chief executive officer, said these recommendations – which are based on well-researched data from industry and government safety organizations, including the National Transportation Safety Board – will benefit its members, as well as the overall aviation community.
Tom Huff, aviation safety officer for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and chair of the NBAA Safety Committee, said: “It is important to the safety committee that business aviation operators keep loss of control – inflight, controlled flight into terrain and runway excursions in focus, since these risks remain in the majority of business aviation accidents.”
Huff added that the continued focus on single-pilot operations can help the NBAA Safety Committee Single Pilot Working Group and industry effect positive change, making the biggest impact in improving business aviation safety.
“There are few hazards unique to single-pilot operations – the hazards are just magnified,” said Huff. “NBAA is reaching out to aircraft-type clubs and local and regional groups, to highlight the association resources that are available to single pilot operators, recognizing they often don’t have the support infrastructure of larger flight departments.”
Paul Ratté, director of aviation safety programs at USAIG and safety committee team leader said safety data has been modified for 2019 to emphasize that collecting data alone is not enough and operators need to share what they find with a broader audience.
The 2019 Top Safety Focus Areas are:
- Reduce the risk of loss of control-inflight (LOC-I)
- Reduce the risk of runway excursions
- Reduce the risk of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT)
- Reduce the risk of aircraft ground operation and handling incidents
- Improve the safety performance of single-pilot operations
- Increase the use and sharing of human-reported and automated safety data
- Improve defenses against automation mismanagement