and reporting culture. We don’t know what we don’t know, which is why the employee hazard reports submitted through ASAP are so powerful. Sharing hazards and other safety issues can prevent others from making the same errors. ASAP’s nonpunitive, solution- oriented focus on safety also supports an organization’s just culture. Te program has posted impressive results
so far. As ACSF president, I can attest to the fact that more than 90% of our 7,000 ASAP safety reports have been “sole source.” Tis means more than 6,300 of those safety events
How to Join
ASAP Register
HAI members can register at
rotor.org/ASAP. A one-time setup fee and annual administration fee based on the number of users is required for ASAP participation and member support.
Sign an MOU ACSF will organize the co- signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between all three parties—your operation, your local FAA flight standards district office (FSDO), and the ACSF. Once the MOU is finalized, the ACSF will work with you to begin your program participation.
Conduct Training An ACSF representative will offer train-the-trainer coursework for your company ASAP representative as well as for your FSDO and its ASAP representative. Then, your company ASAP rep will train fellow employees in the program rules as well as report submission.
may never have been disclosed if it weren’t for ASAP. Tis level of active participation validates the entire ASAP program. Beyond the ability to improve safety, ASAP’s
solution-oriented approach benefits operational efficiencies and policies. For example, after a large regional air ambulance provider reported the inability to reach air traffic control (ATC) in remote areas, its safety manager said, “If someone in the back has a life-threatening medical emergency and we can’t get clearance to get off the ground, that’s a problem.” Te organization developed operational
procedures to remedy the issue. It now has a dedicated phone number to obtain departure clearances. Because ASAP reports are shared, its findings will help other operators, as well. Te air ambulance company also uncovered
safety-related maintenance issues through ASAP. “We identified shortcomings with OEM maintenance manuals, which were updated,” its safety manager explains. “And we drafted content for the AIM [Aeronautical Information Manual, published by the FAA].” ASAP helped improve the level of safety within the company and among different certificate holders and OEMs, and led the FAA to adjust its policies.
ASAP Findings Improve Training A just culture recognizes that most safety events are caused by honest mistakes, which are often caused by gaps in policies, procedures, or training. Operators have used ASAP to revise their flight operations and maintenance manuals and close training gaps. Making such ongoing improvements to
company policies and procedures is an important part of a just culture. “When a pilot isn’t ter- minated in these instances, we can offer remedial training and take corrective actions to help ensure that these events don’t happen again,” says the air ambulance safety manager. Participants are encouraged to regularly
incorporate information from ASAP reports into safety newsletters or team meetings.
Is It Really Nonpunitive? One of the biggest reasons not all operators have signed up for ASAP is that some believe the program isn’t truly nonpunitive.
40 ROTOR MARCH 2021
But that belief is quickly discouraged in the
wake of these reported events and their positive outcomes. “As a safety manager, my job isn’t to find blame; it’s to find cause,” says the sports organization’s safety manager. “Te benefit of having an ASAP is in the results—of gaining knowledge of the unintentional error or safety threat. It’s gratifying we can capture data and find solutions that often prove lifesaving.” “ASAP was an easy sell to my boss,” says the
safety manager for a Part 91 operator. “Our SMS policy has a statement about no retribu- tion, so if a pilot makes an honest error, the FAA and company can’t take punitive action. And since the ASAP memorandum of under- standing is signed by three entities [the employer, the FAA, and the ACSF], it’s a formal promise that adds strength and trust in the program.”
Sharing Data Benefits Industry Another key benefit of ASAP is that program participants have access to findings to help other aircraft operators improve their safety policies and procedures. For example, through ASAP, the air ambulance company identified what to do when an operator has four helicopters arriving in a landing zone and ATC is unavail- able. Te operator’s corrective action was to work with the FAA and a local ATC to develop a procedure for the first aircraft landing on scene, the second, and so on. Tese procedures are now available to other operators in the area. Sharing safety data has big benefits for ASAP
participants, enabling them to use lessons learned by others to improve efficiencies and even save lives. Tis is even true of OEMs. “It doesn’t cost us one extra cent to learn
from another’s safety event, and we don’t pay the operators’ costs of experiencing it,” notes the sports organization safety manager. “We think ASAP is an invaluable program
if it’s understood and managed correctly,” says the operations director of an air tour operator. “Tis program isn’t for people who like to fly under the radar. If you really want to create a just culture and culture of compliance and risk management, ASAP opens up and mit- igates those pockets of resistance.”
ASAP in Action: A Case Study Te following case study, provided by a tour
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