safety-related occurrences without fear of losing their jobs or being reprimanded by the FAA and losing their certificates, as long as certain conditions are met (see sidebar below). In March 2021, HAI launched an ASAP reporting capa- bility in partnership with the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF, online at acsf.aero). A well-known third-party facil- itator of ASAP, ACSF has managed more than half of all ASAP participating companies for the business and general aviation industry since 2012.


ASAP Defined


What ASAP Is. An Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) fosters a voluntary, cooperative, nonpunitive environment for the self-reporting of any events or concerns that could affect the safety of a flight. Flight department employees (pilots, aviation mechanics/engineers, dispatchers, schedulers, and so on) use ASAP to self-identify and report significant safety concerns and issues.


Types of Reportable Events. Reportable events may include (but are not limited to) operational deficiencies, noncompliance with regulations, or deviations from company policies and procedures. Examples include flying an unstable approach, airspace violations, altitude or route deviations, logbook errors, and OEM aircraft design or configuration issues.


Events Not Accepted by ASAP. The FAA takes no action against an employee who submits a report that is accepted as being appropriate for the ASAP process. However, not all events reported to ASAP are protected from punitive action. An employee’s report may be dismissed


from ASAP if his or her actions demonstrate an intentional disregard for company safety policies or the federal aviation regulations, or if he or she is involved in criminal activity, substance abuse, or the intentional falsification of information. When an employee’s report is dismissed from ASAP, the events contained in that report may be evaluated by the employer or the FAA for further disciplinary action.


ASAP Resolution Process. Each ASAP report is investigated by an organization’s event review committee (ERC), which typically meets every two


to three months or as needed. An ERC consists of three members: a management representative from the operator, an employee representative (pilot, mechanic, dispatcher, as appropriate), and a qualified FAA inspector from the appropriate flight standards district office. A representative from the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is also present as a neutral third-party ASAP facilitator. Committee members work together to review,


analyze, and resolve the reported safety event. Using consensus and a nondisciplinary approach, the committee determines corrective actions that address all causal factors related to the event, including training gaps or ambiguities in company policies.


After the ERC determines to its satisfaction


that all corrective actions have been properly completed, the ERC notifies the submitter that the report is closed.


ASAP Benefits. Employees of a participating ASAP organization have access to a nonpunitive reporting system that encourages them to submit safety events that might otherwise never be reported. Participating companies can take advantage of a structured, collaborative process to resolve those events and address all causal factors while strengthening their just culture. De- identified information from ASAP reports is also available to other organizations participating in the ACSF ASAP, and those companies are encouraged to use that data, including all corrective actions taken, to inform their own training programs and develop mitigation strategies for their operations. In addition, ACSF publishes a quarterly ASAP newsletter.


ACSF works alongside aircraft operators and the FAA to


receive, review, and respond to ASAP reports. “Having a neutral third party in the discussion helps to develop con- sensus,” notes the safety manager for an East Coast–based sports organization.


ASAP Brings Big Benefits ASAP is just one tool used in a robust safety management system (SMS) to improve both an organization’s just culture


MARCH 2021 ROTOR 39


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