Help the Hen!

Safety in aviation is always a top priority. There are many ways to approach this important task, with the first line of defense being a keen and constant personal awareness of one’s habits, health, skill, and environment. But even under the best conditions, sometimes there are still various factors that lead to safety incidents or accidents. As a community, aviation professionals do come together to discuss these experiences and learn through numerous networking symposiums and informational gatherings from organizations dedicated to increasing our proficiency and knowledge. But, can we do more?

Safety reporting in aviation dates as far back as the 1970s with NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and continues today through many other safety management systems (SMS) and other voluntary aviation safety programs. While many business aviation operators have implemented their own Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP), the collection of safety-critical information from pilots remains a key factor in the success of these programs.

Fatal accidents naturally grab our attention, and it can often be easy to identify the factors and conditions that contribute to the disastrous outcome as you read through an accident report; however, we know hindsight is always much clearer, so this is only mildly useful in preventing future injury or deaths for ourselves and others. What we need to remember is that what happens more often than fatalities are the small, seemingly harmless violations that speckle our operating environment and generally go overlooked because, after all, nothing bad happened as a result. Sometimes these small violations even become a habit as they continue to be practiced with no catastrophic consequence.

As much as we like to maintain our reputation and credibility as skilled, exceptional pilots and aviation professionals, there are times when humility and honesty are not only the best practice, but a selfless practice that may save the lives of others. This is where regular safety reporting comes in to play.

Safety reporting requires a bit of self-assessment, courage, and scrutiny on the part of everyone involved. While the business aviation community has a fairly strong involvement in our safety reporting systems, there is always room for improvement. This doesn't only fall upon the individuals behind the flight controls, but everyone involved in the safe operation of aircraft.

It falls upon leadership to create a healthy reporting climate where employees do not fear retaliation or humiliation for their mistakes. And it requires all others to trust that their input will be utilized in ways that can only lift our community and make it stronger.

We all pay close attention to safety bulletins and reports and often take away valuable lessons for ourselves, but do we each make a concerted effort to contribute to the process and create value of our own? If not, we become much like the other seemingly lazy or entitled animals in the Little Red Hen story.

We appreciate the outcome and want to enjoy the results of safety reporting, but are we willing to do the work in advance to contribute to the end product? Be the Little Red Hen. Do the work. Hold yourself accountable. Enjoy the spoils. And always, always, be safe.