Will Allow Review Of Safety-Related Events From Both
Perspectives
A safety program created by the FAA will for the first time
integrate voluntary safety information self-reported by pilots and
air traffic controllers. This data-sharing program unveiled
Wednesday by the FAA will give the agency a more complete picture
of the national airspace system by collecting, assessing and
reviewing safety events from the perspective of both pilots and air
traffic controllers.
United Airlines and its pilots have the first agreement in place
to participate in a demonstration program. The FAA expects to sign
similar agreements with other carriers in the future.
"Safety is our number-one priority," said U.S. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood. Having pilots and controllers provide
information abut potential air safety problems will help us correct
them before they become accidents."
"This revolutionary program will give us an incredible amount of
data that will help us find problems, make corrections and avoid
incidents," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "I applaud air
traffic controllers, pilots and airlines for their dedication to
keeping our aviation system as safe as possible."
For the first time, information from the Aviation Safety Action
Program (ASAP) and the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP)
will be merged, so input from both pilots and controllers can help
guide safety decisions. The program will develop processes and
policies to share and analyze relevant safety information in a
non-punitive way, consistent with the basic principles of Safety
Management Systems. These systems are widely used within the FAA
and the aviation industry.
ASAP encourages aviation employees to voluntarily report safety
information that may help identify potential precursors to
accidents. The ASAP process resolves safety issues through
corrective action rather than through punishment or discipline.
Each program is based on a safety partnership that includes the FAA
and the aviation operator, and usually includes a third party, such
as the reporting employee's labor organization. In today's
agreement, the airline's labor organization is the United chapter
of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Today, 73 air carriers
have 169 ASAP programs for pilots, mechanics, flight attendants,
and dispatchers.
ATSAP is an agreement between the FAA and the National Air
Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) that is designed to foster
a voluntary, cooperative, non-punitive environment for FAA air
traffic employees to openly report safety concerns As a
result of ATSAP, all parties have access to valuable safety
information that otherwise might never have been discovered or
reported. The FAA analyzes the information to develop skill
enhancements or system corrective actions that will help solve
safety problems.
Voluntary reporting programs have significantly contributed to
the nation's impressive aviation safety record, including
improvements to training and enhanced operations and maintenance
procedures.