MORs

[MightyGem]

Just been reading the CAA latest Rotary Wing Occurance List and was struck by the "trivial" nature of some Puma reports from the North Sea.

Notwithstanding the wording of the definition of a Reportable Incident, is it worth putting in a report for: ground staff passing conflicting/inaccurate load sheets; met man getting his TAF wrong (now there's a thing!); finding someone's PLB left behind in the aircraft.

Just seem the paperwork could be replaced by a 'phone call.

[rotordk]

Which part of overload is not worth a report ?

[Droopy]

I'd have to disagree with you on this one MG; the MOR system, whilst a bit of a pain to follow for minor incidents, is all about trends and solutions; if minor matters are dealt with on a local level, then the individual who made the mistake learns a lesson but that's the end of it. There may be an organisational cause to these errors which can't be addressed if there's no data bank, even for seemingly trivial matters. To take the TAF example, it may be that there's an error in the computer model, or an individual forecaster with a training need.

The "personal approach" certainly works for individual cases but it doesn't lead to long term solutions. I suppose the answer is the phone call followed up by an MOR, with the individual in question made aware that it's nothing personal. Not easy.

[Hummingfrog]

MG

I agree with Droopy and rotordk. As a Police pilot your patch is overland and what you see out of the window is what you get throughout your patch so you do your own mental TAF.

In the N Sea there is a variation in the weather over our very large patch and we tend to operate to min fuels to give the customer max payload. It is not a comforting thought to approach your destination airfield with VFR fuel (30mins holding no div) to find it's ATIS is giving reports that are close to or below limits (200ft 500m) when the TAF has forecast above 600ft and 4000m!

You may be surprised that one of our major airfields (Sumburgh) doesn't even have a forecaster on duty when we are planning our morning sorties despite the vast amount of tax the oil companies pay. This is why we MOR inaccurate TAFs to try and get something done about the lack of forecasters.

Being based at Liverpool you may have heard or seen the Dauphines of Bond leaving and arriving IFR when you where stuck on the ground because of weather. This is why we require accurate TAFs. After all we can't land in a field if the weather is worse than forecast!!

HF

[topcat450]

I have to say that in my opinion even trivial events should be logged and noted, even if not a full MOR raised.

I know there is software which airlines use to do exactly this sort of thing (just within thier ops department...the CAA don't ever need to see it), I don't want to be seen to advertise so email me if you want the company I have first hand experience with.

After all, even minor/trivial events can team up, cause a chain reaction and ultimately cause a big problem, so sorting out the minor niggles improves safety.

After all, if the fuel guy regularly scrawls on his load sheet the numbers and are hard to read...and the taf is incorrect, if there is ever an a/c which runs out of fuel because he was holding with low VFR fuel at a destination which is IFR. You have something to go back on...and as pilots say..."We'll we've reported incorrect tafs and cr*p illegible load sheets in the past...it was xyz who actioned/ignored it"

[MightyGem]

Thanks guys, I obviously lead a sheltered life.

[Helinut]

With a varied experience in smaller onshore operators over the years, I am much more worried about what does not get MOR'd than what does! The threshold of reporting is vastly different between the public operators and some (not all) of the small commercial operators.

[chopperman]

Helinut,
I do know that certain companies frown on any pilot filing an MOR, especially if it should be detrimental to the companies operation and, let’s face it, no-one wants to be top of the ‘s**t list’. But the onus is on us, as professionals, to file one if we think that the situation warrants it. As Droopy and others have said, it may seem a minor problem at the time, but it just may be part of a bigger problem that does need to be addressed. If enough MORs arrive in the CAA’s post box then something will (hopefully) get done about it.
The squeaky hinge, as they say, gets the oil.
Fly safe,
Chopperman

[topcat450]

It's one of my minor bugbears, companies like this whislt generally pretty safe and don't have accidents, they have a cavalier attitude to safety and put undue pressure on pilots to keep their mouths shut when events arise. I'm with chopperman...you're the guy with the licence, if something happens in the future and you say...we'll we all knew things like that happened but no one had ever mentioned it, you can bet your backside the management would blame you lot for never mentioning it, think of it as an insurance policy, cover you own ass incase the dreaded ever does happen cause I bet the management wouldn't look after you.

Secondly, and perhaps a little underhand, maybe a Chirp report or a unoffical word with someone at the CAA. The CAA have recomendations for safety management systems, conduct safety audits, and if my memory is correct one of the principals behind it is that there is a clearly identifiable person who you can go to and report any event with safety implications. He has to log the event and he has a clear line of communication with the top-brass...

thirdly and even more underhand, pass me thier details and I'll try selling my 'consultancy' services to them. :ok:

Just remember at the end of the day it's your licence on the line...not thiers.

[Coriolis]

FWIW, the MOR scheme has been revised recently, with some changes to the reporting forms, including birdstrike and windshear reports (do helos get windshear?)-
Just to keep you guessing, different agencies want reports on different things, so the CAA don't supply forms for all the bits....although the CAA websight will link/give contacts for all parts.

Loads of CAA forms now on the web for download (good idea lads), but not the MOR, in case the chap in the back uses it to complain about the turbulence spilling his drink!!