Unstable Approach SMS Mandate by Transport Canada

Unstable Approach SMS Mandate by Transport Canada

New CASA suggests non-SMS operators to use SMS?

Transport Canada has issued Civil Aviation Safety Alert, CASA 2014-03, “USING SMS TO ADDRESS HAZARDS AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH UNSTABLE APPROACHES.” As a result of the First Air Boeing 737 accident at Resolute Bay,  NU.  August 20th, 2011. 

The purpose of this Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is threefold:

1. To request Canadian air operators operating under subpart 705 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) that they use—on a voluntary basis—their existing Safety Management System (SMS) to address and mitigate hazards and risks associated with unstable approaches;
2. To advise 705 operators that beginning approximately one year after the publication of this CASA, Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) plans to direct specific surveillance activities to evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary compliance with this document and will begin looking for evidence of effective mitigations of this hazard; and,
3. As the hazards and risks associated with unstable approaches are not limited to 705 operators, this CASA also serves to raise the concern to 703 and 704 operators who are not yet required to have a SMS, and encourage them to address the issue voluntarily.

“CASA also serves to raise the concern to 703 and 704 operators who are not yet required to have a SMS, and encourage them to address the issue voluntarily.”

This should serve as a “heads-up” to 704 & 703 operators. How can you follow the suggested mitigation action without an SMS in place? It is important the 704/703 operators start now to implement SMS and not wait till it’s mandated by Transport Canada. Here is the recommended actions by TCCA:

First Air Boeing 737

TCCA requests that this hazard be assessed and mitigated through appropriate use of the following (but not limited to) SMS components:

1. Safety oversight (reactive and proactive     processes);
1. Training and awareness (promotions);
2. Voluntary use of Flight Data Monitoring (in order to gain a greater understanding of unstable approaches and the causes.)

This may be determined by performing a proactive assessment of unstable approach hazards (including situations where this is more likely to occur), a review of SMS database to verify the rate of occurrence and to ensure this is being reported and finally, follow up with the pilot community to verify it is being reported and monitored through the SMS in order to verify a decrease in incidents and increased awareness of the hazard and attendant risks.

Alternatively, air operators who indicate that they do not have a problem with unstable approaches in their operation will be asked to demonstrate how they have reached this conclusion. Air operators with an established flight data monitoring program (FDM) are encouraged to use this program to gather and analyze this data.

TCCA will determine if an air operator’s SMS is capturing all risks including unstable approaches, and if so, if this risk is being analyzed and addressed properly.

NOTE: DTI Training has been the source of SMS/QA and Surveillance Procedures Training to ALL delegated Transport Canada Safety Inspections.