The FAA Compliance Philosophy Is A Major Cultural Change For The Agency

In a recent issue of the FAA online publication, Fast Blast, they reviewed an interesting subject which is referred to as the new FAA Compliance Philosophy. Developed in 2015, here’s a brief outline of what it’s all about.

The FAA says the goal of the Compliance Philosophy is to identify safety issues that underlie deviations from standards and correct them as effectively, quickly, and efficiently as possible. To do this, Compliance Philosophy embraces self-disclosure of errors. It also involves collaborating with the aviation community to share information about safety issues that underlie deviations from standards.

The FAA uses the term, “just culture,” which allows for due consideration of honest mistakes. But, even unintentional errors can have a serious impact on safety, so it’s critical that the underlying safety concern is always addressed. The key is where to draw the line between blameless unsafe acts that can be addressed by using compliance tools, and unacceptable behavior that requires enforcement action.

The FAA’s Compliance Philosophy emphasizes non-enforcement, or “Compliance Action” where appropriate. A Compliance Action is the FAA’s method for correcting unintentional deviations that come from things like flawed systems and procedures, simple mistakes, lack of understanding, or diminished skills. The FAA believes that deviations of this nature can be most effectively corrected through root cause analysis and training, education, or other appropriate improvements to procedures or training programs.

However, an airman who indicates that he or she is unwilling or unable to comply, or shows evidence of intentional deviation, reckless or criminal behavior, or other significant safety risk, would be ineligible for a Compliance Action.

The FAA says they expect compliance to be the standard. This evolved approach to oversight does not mean that the agency is going to go easy on compliance. It will continue to use enforcement action when needed. The FAA will maintain strict accountability for inappropriate risk-taking and will have zero tolerance for intentional or reckless behavior.

More details about the Compliance Philosophy can be found in a brochure published by the FAA by using the link provided below.

FMI: FAA Compliance Philosophy brochure