Compliance Philosophy

Before October 2016, formal enforcement was the only tool available to Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs). This time-consuming process could take years to resolve and absorbed a lot of FAA resources better used elsewhere. Enforcement was unsuitable in many cases where the violation was unintentional and the pilot displayed a cooperative attitude and desire to set matters straight.

Fred Simonds

Friday, March 03, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's Compliance Philosophy, implemented post-2016, shifts from punitive enforcement to a cooperative approach focused on identifying and correcting the underlying causes of regulatory deviations.
This new system encourages pilots to freely exchange information and accept tailored remedial actions, such as training, over traditional enforcement, unless the behavior is blatant or reckless.
The Compliance Philosophy has proven effective by significantly reducing formal enforcement actions, enabling better data collection on safety issues, and expediting the resolution process.

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We first wrote about the FAA’s Compliance Philosophy in April 2016. This new thinking promised a refreshing, positive approach to how the FAA handles regulatory deviations. Let’s see how it’s working out.