Intruder;
My sincere thanks for your time in researching and responding - very helpful. Check the AC document is 120-82, thanks for the reminder.
In the statements quoted, a number of things are clarified regarding the FAA's approval for FOQA and how the gatekeeper process functions, in particular the statement:
"Such contact is usually limited to situations when further insight into the circumstances surrounding an event is needed.", (AC 120-82)
which states very clearly that the gatekeeper process is not required for every FOQA event but only when further understanding is necessary. That's the way we've been running it for some time, of course.
To put the question succinctly, someone apparently without any understanding of how FOQA works, had mentioned that every event requires a crew contact, period.
From our p.o.v. as long-experienced operators of FDM, such an endeavour would appear to be nigh impossible and wholly unnecessary but there it was, a requirement, and I am seeking others' input and views on this as I was wondering where such a thing was coming from.
We have a successful FOQA/FDM Program running, though not in the U.S., and the gatekeeper process, including strict confidentialities thereof, is accepted by the pilots and management alike; the process is working well, as is the reporting process and so on. The Program has been of exceptional value in that it has, through properly-conceived FDM processes, made positive, material differences to the operation.
For further clarification, I am wondering if the same specification quoted above applies in Europe - that crew-contact by the pilot association gatekeeper is usually limited to situations in which further understanding and insight may be required to maintain and improve flight safety and that there exists no requirement to contact the crew for every FOQA/FDM Event?
I know this must sound odd coming from someone who's both flown transports for thirty-five years and concurrently done FDM in one form or another for almost thirty years, but the question is a serious one.
My thanks once again.
Last edited by PJ2; 11th May 2015 at 22:30.