Only back in October NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt said the following to the Regional Airlines Association's Presidents Council Luncheon:
Following a fatal regional airline accident a few years ago, the Safety Board issued safety recommendations calling for air carriers to implement Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) and Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA). Almost two years after those safety recommendations were issued, I did some research to see how many carries had implemented them.
ASAP programs encourage employees to report safety concerns in a non-punitive environment, which allows the air carrier to act on the information before an accident or incident occurs. I found virtually no difference between regional and major carrier in implementation of ASAP. 93 percent of 14 major carriers in my survey had ASAP programs, whereas 91 percent of the 21 regional carriers had these programs. I applaud major and regional carriers alike in their efforts to implement ASAP.
Now:
NTSB weighs in on US carrier suspension of voluntary reporting
US safety officials are publicly expressing their concern over the suspension of voluntary safety reporting programmes by four of the country's airlines.
The Aviation Safety Action Programme (ASAP) has officially been suspended at Delta Air Lines and its wholly-owned regional Comair, American Airlines and US Airways.
An Aviation Safety Action Programme (ASAP) is an agreement between an airline labour group, FAA and carrier management that generally frees employees from penalties when they report incidents or safety concerns.
[The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today said: "These programmes identify and correct safety issues before they cause accidents."
NTSB believes the information provided by ASAP is used in developing methods to improve safety, and "their elimination could put aviation safety at risk".
In 2007 the board said it issued a recommendation to FAA strongly encouraging ASAP adoption among US regional carriers.
Delta pilots suspended the carrier's ASAP programme in December 2006. Both American and US Airways pilots allowed their progammes to lapse this year.
American pilots suspended ASAP after determining a proposal offered by management in the renewal process would put the carrier's pilots at greater risk for discipline.
US Airways this month terminated the carrier's 10-year ASAP programme after pilots failed to expand immunity to events not previously covered under the agreement.
Recently Delta's branch of the Air Line Pilots Association (APLA) said it hoped to reach an agreement with management regarding ASAP soon.
NTSB, meanwhile, "strongly urges all parties to do what is needed to reinstate proactive safety programmes and keep existing programmes viable and fully functioning," says board Chairman Mark Rosenker.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news