The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) recently named its Most Wanted List for this year. This list, published every year, “highlights safety issues identified from the NTSB’s accident investigations to increase awareness about the
issues and promote recommended safety solutions.”
All modes of transportation are included in the study to create the list and some of the points crossover more than one mode; one was specific to general aviation (GA) and six of the 10 included aviation. Those are listed below with the NTSB’s explanations.
Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation
While airline accidents have become relatively rare in the United States, pilots and passengers involved in general aviation operations still die at alarming rates. Between 2008 and 2014, about 47 percent of fatal fixed-wing GA accidents in the United States involved pilots losing control of their aircraft in flight, resulting in 1,210 fatalities. Pilots can reduce these accidents through education, technologies, flight currency, self-assessment, and vigilant situational awareness in the cockpit.
Reduce Fatigue-Related Accidents
Human fatigue affects the safety of the traveling public in all modes of transportation. Twenty percent of the 182 major NTSB investigations completed between 2001 and 2012 identified fatigue as a probable cause, contributing factor, or a finding. Combating fatigue requires a comprehensive approach focused on research, education and training, technologies, treatment of sleep disorders, hours-of-service regulations and on- and off-duty scheduling policies and practices.
Disconnect from Deadly Distractions
Since 2003, the NTSB has found [portable electronic device] PED distraction as a cause or contributing factor in accidents across all modes of transportation. A cultural change is needed for drivers and operators to disconnect from deadly distractions. In regulated transportation, the strict rules minimizing the threat of distraction must be embraced by every operator on every trip. Removing unnecessary distractions is the first step in safely operating any vehicle.
Expand Use of Recorders to Enhance Transportation Safety
Transportation operators and investigators must have an accurate picture of an accident to prevent future accidents. No single tool has helped determine what went wrong more than recorders. Yet, certain categories of aircraft, trains, ferries, and buses are still not equipped with these critical technologies.
End Substance Impairment in Transportation
In the last 15 years, data shows that one-third of highway deaths involved an alcohol-impaired driver. Our new reality is this: impaired driving now involves drugs – including prescribed and over-the-counter medicines – that can affect your ability to drive or operate any vehicle. More and better data will help us understand the scope of the problem and the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Require Medical Fitness for Duty
When safety-critical personnel, such as public vehicle operators, have untreated or undiagnosed medical conditions preventing them from doing their job safely, people can be seriously injured or die. However, medical certification for safety-critical personnel varies across the modes of transportation. The NTSB has recommended comprehensive medical certification systems for safety-critical transportation personnel to ensure that these professionals are medically fit for duty before operating a vehicle.
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) commented on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List and said it is “in step with the safety focus areas of NBAA’s Safety Committee, and that alignment between government and industry efforts to address these issues best contributes to improved flight safety.” Mark Larsen, NBAA’s senior manager for safety and flight operations, said that preventing loss of control inflight is also among the NBAA Top Safety Focus Areas, as business aviation loss of control accidents are a subset of the 47 percent fatal fixed-wing GA accidents mentioned in the NTSB’s list, and “the alarming consistency of catastrophic outcomes in this type of accident compels an effort to better understand and control loss of control inflight risks.” The NBAA’s Top Safety Focus Areas list also includes hazard of distraction and technology management, which correlates with NTSB’s point of “disconnecting from deadly distractions.” The NBAA’s point reiterates the need to “focus on the primary task at hand in lieu of non-mission-critical information, and to be fully trained and proficient with mission-related technology, so that managing it while performing safety-sensitive tasks does not itself become a distraction.”
The organization also highlights reducing fatigue-related accidents, requiring medical fitness for duty and ending substance impairment in transportation in its fitness for duty foundation for safety. In a physically and mentally demanding environment, a clear mind and healthy body are essential to safe business aircraft operation, maintenance and management. Operators must address fatigue, sleep apnea, improper use of medications and many other physical and psychological aeromedical issues.
The NBAA pointed out that “expanding the use of recorders to enhance transportation safety” is new to the NTSB’s list this year, and said “with the growing use of data as part of aviation safety programs, recorders play a critical role in helping operators to validate processes and identify trends before problems occur.”
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen concluded by saying, “A proactive safety culture that seeks input from all facets of the operation is key to improved business aviation safety. NBAA remains dedicated to our collaborative working relationship with the NTSB to help improve business aviation safety.”
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