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SMS for Helicopters

Industry leaders commit to safety.

[Credit: iStock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA is expanding Safety Management System (SMS) requirements to commercial helicopter operators (Parts 91 & 135) to proactively manage safety and risk, similar to its mandate for Part 121 operators.
  • SMS is a formal approach with four core components—safety policy, risk management, assurance, and promotion—designed to foster a strong safety culture by identifying and mitigating risks through continuous assessment and employee empowerment.
  • Effective SMS implementation often requires objective third-party oversight to overcome internal complacency and financial pressures, with a critical focus on improving pilot aeronautical decision-making, which is a significant factor in rotorcraft accidents.
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When you were a child, did you ever hear this from a parent: “Clean up your room, or I will clean it up for you!” This usually was not a good thing, as the parent method of ‘cleaning up your room’ is more scorched earth than Mary Poppins.

A similar situation exists in the aviation industry as commercial helicopter operators are crafting safety management systems (SMS) for their businesses before the FAA makes one for them.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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