We in the general aviation (GA) community are fond of poking fun occasionally at the FAA. Most of the time, its to highlight a perceived and sometimes real tension between the community and the agency. Frequently, this takes the form of tired clichs such as, “Im from the FAA and Im here to help you,” or another mythical phrase such as, “Were not happy until youre not happy.” When I was FAAs lead 288
Have FAA/Industry Safety Efforts Worked?
We in the general aviation (GA) community are fond of poking fun occasionally at the FAA. Most of the time, its to highlight a perceived and sometimes real tension between the community and the agency. Frequently, this takes the form of tired clichs such as, "Im from the FAA and Im here to help you," or another mythical phrase such as, "Were not happy until youre not happy." When I was FAAs lead GA executive in the early 2000s, my favorite became, "Weve just upped our standards, now up yours."
Key Takeaways:
- While the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) achieved a remarkable 74% reduction in airline fatal accident rates, the General Aviation (GA) fatal accident rate has remained stubbornly stagnant for over a decade despite efforts by the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee (GAJSC).
- The FAA's grassroots safety program (FAAST) faces criticism for primarily engaging already safety-conscious individuals and potentially focusing on "flavor of the day" issues rather than the core causes of fatal accidents.
- Recognizing the plateau, both the FAA and industry agree a new approach is essential for GA safety, as past joint goals for accident reduction have not been met.
- Significant improvement in GA safety, including ambitious goals like a 50% reduction in fatal accidents, hinges on fundamental changes to the GA safety culture, improved pilot training, and more effective root-cause analysis.
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