The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a vital, non-punitive safety system enabling pilots to self-report errors, fostering error prevention through collaborative analysis by an Event Review Team (ERT) representing the FAA, airline, and union.
ASAP's success depends on a foundation of mutual trust and the ERT's unanimous consensus rule, which ensures collective commitment to corrective actions over disciplinary measures.
The program at the author's airline was terminated due to a severe breakdown of trust, stemming from management's alleged misuse of ASAP reports for discipline, disputes over defining "reckless" operations, and an attempt to alter the ERT's unanimous consensus requirement.
The captain of the 767 tilted an ear toward his cockpit speaker. The controller was calling their flight number. The first officer was flying the airplane.
“Transglobal 63, cross two-zero miles south of XRAY intersection at flight level two-five-zero.”
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Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.
