Improving Aviation Safety

For this assignment, conduct research and argue the importance of SMS and the NTSB in accident prevention. Access NTSB’s Aviation Accident Database & Synopses (Links to an external site.) to identify an aircraft accident investigation that has been completed. You may choose any type of aircraft and accident that you wish. Then, write a 2-3 page paper, not including the title page and reference page, that explains the accident, the findings, and considers the role of the NTSB, coupled with effective SMS principles, in preventing a similar accident from occurring.

Your paper must be supported by a minimum of three scholarly references, should be grammatically sound, and free of spelling errors. You must include a properly formatted title page, in-text citations where appropriate, and a reference page formatted according to current APA guidelines. If you have any questions regarding APA requirements, please refer to the current APA manual or ask your instructor.

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Improving Aviation Safet

Improving Aviation Safety

The Importance of SMS and the NTSB in Accident Prevention

Accidents are inevitable and occur from time to time in the transportation network. The containment of accidents depends a lot on the availability of effective response and recovery mechanisms. The development and implementation of the appropriate safety controls and measures go a long way in ensuring that risks and threats are minimized in the transportation network. Programs such as the Safety Management Systems (SMS) and safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are examples of safety programs and measures put in place to improve safety and minimize accidents in the aviation sector. SMS is a systematic approach that is designed to manage and ensure safety. It includes a description of the various necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, procedures, and policies to ensure safety.

The main objective of SMS and NTSB recommendations is to provide flight departments with formal schemes of risk management and internal oversight programs that improve safety (Skybrary, 2017). The SMS is developed in a way that incorporates safety objectives and policy, safety risk management, safety promotion, and safety assurance. The NTSB is an independent federal agency that is mandated to conduct investigations and studies on all likely causes of transportation accidents, recommend solutions and programs to avoid accidents, and coordinate resources to assist accident victims and their families after an accident occurs. The successful implementation and understanding of the SMS within flight agencies and the application of all recommendations by the NTSB ensure a low rate of aviation accidents. Nevertheless, accidents are inevitable and sometimes occur even with the full implementation of recommendations and safety programs.

The Crash of Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A, as published on the NTSB is an example of an accident that occurred as a result of improper and inadequate implementation of safety culture strategies (National Transportation Safety Board, 2004). The airplane was on a repositioning flight from Little Rock National Airport, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota when both of its engines suddenly flamed out (National Transportation Safety Board, 2004). The accident occurred after an aerodynamic stall induction by one of the airplane’s pilots, who was unable to restart the plane back. Both the captain and first officer died in the accident. NTSB findings were that the likely causes of the accident were connected to both human behavior and lack of risk management strategies within the airplane (National Transportation Safety Board, 2004).

The NTSB noted that the pilot’s deviation from standard airplane operational procedures and lack of aircraft prowess triggered an in-flight emergency (National Transportation Safety Board, 2004). This can be attributed to the inadequacy of training. The board also noted poor response mechanism in the pilot’s untimely preparation for an emergency and reporting about the aircraft’s status and need for an emergency landing site to the respective air control department. The board’s findings also noted that the lack of proper inspection of engines before flight resulted in both engines failing in-flight, causing the accident (National Transportation Board, 2004). All these human errors, together with the lack of aircraft safety protocols in the airplane, resulted in the fatal accident that cost the pilot and the first officer their lives.

To ensure that human error does not occur and result in accidents, SMS should be incorporated as a central theme for all flight crew training programs to develop avenues for the members to test their abilities in identifying risks and developing mitigating strategies. Access to NTSB files and repositories (NTSB Aviation Accident Database & Synopses) gives airlines and flight departments important information that can be used for flight crew training to ensure that members are aware of all likely risks and prepare adequately to improve their airmanship.

References

National Transportation Safety Board. (2004, October 14). Crash of Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A. Retrieved from National Transportation Safety Board: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR0701.aspx

NTSB Aviation Accident Database & Synopses. https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/index.aspx

Skybrary. (2017, September 22). Safety Management System. https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Safety_Management_System#ICAO_SMS_Framework