AOC OPS QUESTION

[Pace]

Interesting statistics from the CAA own paper 2009/3 Business jet safety research

Corporate ops achieved a fatal accident rate of 0.2 per million hours flown for the period 2003 to 2007 which is comparable to large western built aeroplanes. Whereas Air Taxi Operations as a whole had a far larger rate of 3.5 per million hours flown

Although I have posted this piece from a CAA doc in defence of corporate operations and cowboy pilots I must admit I am surprised at these figures and I will even admit to being dubious. IE there must be some reason why the AOC OPS are so substantially higher?

This is NOT a jibe at AOC OPS as most of the ones I know are well run and detailed.

[Tequilaboy]

I would say that air taxi (AOC) ops are far greater in hours with a diversity of different aircraft. 91 ops probably have a ceiling of hours whereby it would be x aircraft multiply by y sectors. 135 ops would be substantially greater I would think and therefore the differential possibly. I am not sure what rules they used to calculate this. Interesting though.

If you look at major accidents in the last decade I would from memory say that more 91 aircraft would be involved but dont quote me on that!

[Above The Clouds]

Is it that AOC stands for "Air Operators Certificate" and they are grouping operator's with an AOC from single engine to bizjets rather than giving a breakdown of different types of operations.

[what next]

Hello!

What exactly is included in "air taxi operations as a whole"? Without knowing, we might compare apples to pears. And again, as in dozens of similar discussions: "coroprate flying" is not really distinguishable from private flying. If all went well, it is counted as a corporate flight, if there is an accident, it must have been a private flight....

[Pace]

2009/3 Business jet safety research

What next

The CAA study was Business Jet Safety!

CAA Paper 2009/03: Business Jet Safety Research: A Statistical Review and Questionnaire Study of Safety Issues | Publications | About the CAA (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=3486)

As stated I am surprised and dubious although I did use it in another thread to back up an argument :E sec 1.4 and 1.6 are relevant
The comments in sec 1.6 are slightly puzzling as part 135 and AOC ops are almost identical on accident stats so further research comments is revealing.

Maybe corporate jets are better because they are not so intensively flown by differing crews. Maybe also that corporate jets tend to be newer pampered company babies ;) and the trips are more spread.
My corporate jet is an old Girl :E



Pace

[what next]

Hello!

I'm a bit in a hurry right now, so didn't go beyond page 1 of the executive summary of that report. But in the last paragraph (1.6) it says: "I is believed that EU-OPS regulated air taxi operations may demonstrate a far better safety record than the overall figure would suggest. This is a recommended area for further study." The whole study is made from worldwide data!

Myself, I am kind of a "hybrid creature". As a corporate pilot I am employed by the aircraft owner, but the aircraft itself is placed under an EU-OPS regulated AOC operation. Personally I consider this as a benefit for safety. I always (with not a single exception during the four years I've been working for this company) adhere to flight uty and rest regulations. This was not so when I did freelance work for other corporate owners (mostly self-flying businessmen) in the past. Our operation is subject to factored landing distances: A mandatory safety margin _must_ improve safety, there simply can not be any doubt about that. And (among other things) we are also subject to the "approach ban" in case of RVR below minimum that not even the most cowboyesque cowboy can breach as you simply will not be cleared for the approach otherwise (not in every country, but in many). Again, this was very different before and I could tell a long story of hair-raising approches (and also go-arounds) with Piper Seminoles under CAT III conditions because the owner/pilot wanted to "have a look, just in case...". Never again, thank you EU-OPS!

Happy landings,
max

[Pace]

Max

Points taken but if these are worldwide stats compiled by the CAA then .2 of a percent worldwide for corporate ops is amazing and almost to Airline standards.
Air Taxi ops at 3.5% is a gaping safety hole and a massive difference which does not make any sense? We are talking jet ops!
Making Air Taxi 15 times more dangerous that private corporate ops if the figures are to be believed?

Pace