NBAA News Bureau
NBAA Meet the Regulators Session Features Top Officials
ATLANTA, GA, September 27, 2007 – At one of the most well-attended sessions at NBAA2007, and what one panelist called “a time-honored event,” today’s NBAA Meet the Regulators session featured three of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) top officials.
NBAA’s Doug Carr, vice president, safety, security & regulation, introduced Nick Sabatini, associate administrator for aviation safety; Jim Ballough, who runs the FAA’s flight standard service; and Harlan Sparrow, acting manager, Commuter, On-Demand & Training Center branch, and commended the FAA for its “long history of partnership, inclusion and cooperation” in its efforts to make sure the industry has a voice.
In an open and candid session, Sabatini commented on the safety of business aviation, reporting that while there have been only three fatal accidents in the last seven years, there is “absolutely no room for complacency in aviation.” Ballough added that although it’s true that business aviation’s safety record is impeccable, “We’ve got to do better,” noting that of the 60 spot inspections this year, very few have needed follow up action, which is good news, and more progress is being made.
The panel stressed the importance of safety management systems (SMS), and said quality management system (QMS) is the foundation of SMS, but hazard analysis is a missing component. Sabatini noted, “We aren’t just asking you to do it, we’re imposing it on ourselves,” and asked operators to introduce SMS into their systems. “What we have now is based on humans performing perfectly every time. Humans make mistakes. SMS is the next level in the safety equation to help us understand what’s going on. We need the data.”
Ballough added, “We’re serious about SMS, and taking a measured approach so we can get it right, out of the box. The future is SMS for all segments of the industry.” Although the FAA admits it has a long road ahead, the agency is committed to making SMS a regulatory requirement, while acknowledging that a massive education effort must take place.
NBAA’s Carr asked the panel how the FAA will utilize new inspectors, while facing new challenges posed by growing priorities, reduced dollars and access to FAA services by those in the field. In response, Sabatini outlined the agency’s top three priorities as continued operational safety, making sure the system is robust and able to do that, and certification of new entities. “You cannot stretch the rubberband this thin,” the FAA told Congress, and it responded by giving the agency more money and inspectors, but “it’s not enough,” Sabatini said. “We can’t continue to do everything with less, so we have to work smarter. We’re going to apply resources the best we can to address growth,” which will include an increase in delegation. He added that voluntarily provided safety information will help close the gap, too.
The FAA also will look at buffers for landing on contaminated runways – advising operators to build a buffer into systems and stressing that nobody can afford an accident like the one that occurred at Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW).
On the international front, the regulators said they are committed to working closely with the International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) Program to negotiate an executive agreement with their foreign counterparts.
