Where Birds Don't Fly

There can only be one root cause when analysing an occurrence for the root cause. The objective with a root cause analysis is to identify the time and location when a different direction would have generated another outcome. At that time of intercepting time and location, or the fork in the road, a risk assessment is applied to the decision in form of a checklist risk assessment tool, or in the form of a crew-experience risk assessment tool. A risk assessment in the form of a predetermined checklist decision maker, or crew-experience risk assessment tool could have produced two different outcomes. Not only is the fork in the road a point when a decision needs be made of what action to take but is also a time to make a decision of what risk-assessment tool should be applied. The root cause is what supports a system in operations. What if there could be more than one root cause. In a different scenario and if several root causes were identified, this would require operators to develop co...

The first thing when giving Safety Management System (SMS) taring to personnel, is to provide training in the concept of SMS. It is crucial to success of a newly implemented SMS that the concept of SMS is introduced at all levels in the organization prior to any other SMS training takes place. This includes management and the CEO in addition to all other personnel. The CEO, President or Accountable Executives are just as new to SMS as the airport manager, pilots, mechanics and other personnel in the organization. That a person ranks higher in an organizational hierarchy does not imply that there is a greater knowledge of SMS, or that this person has a comprehension of the SMS.  It could be an intimidating task for a brand-new SMS Manager approach the CEO and suggest SMS training. It could also be an assumption that since the AE has final authority over SMS financial and human resources they are already SMS experts. However, when the AE accepted the AE position and appointed an SMS ...