Qa & Aviation Safety
Name: Pinto, Rafael A. Date: 07/25/12
Activity 9.9 - Aeronautical Science Perspective Paper
Aviation Safety and Quality Assurance
Despite having an enviable safety record, the aviation industry is under constant pressure to drive down
accident rates. Air accidents damage consumer confidence and inhibit the growth of the industry.
When it comes to flying, the word safety is mentioned constantly. Shortage of qualified professionals,
ageing of aircraft’s fleet and environmental concerns are some of the challenges faced by today’s
aviation. The primary goal of the aviation industry is to maintain airplane and helicopter safety
standards and protect the interests of the mechanics, flight crew, and passengers. It is important the use
of different techniques for increase of safety practices in a industry that is increasingly diverse,
complex, and under very significant pressure. John O 'Brian, from ALPA 's Engineering and Air Safety
Department, once mentioned “No matter how interested individual employees might be, or what
assistance a manufacturer offers, or how insistent a certificating authority might be—none of these
factors will have a significant effect on safety without support from top management”, so it is
imperative that managers and supervisors are well aware of the impact of their roles during the daily
operations.
As aviation evolves, a lot of programs and procedures were created in order to organize, monitor and
standardize maintenance practices and flight operations. From a safety management system (SMS) to a
flight data management (FDM) just to name a few, all these programs have the objective of collecting
all the data and identify areas that need improvement and determine the most cost-effective way to
increase safety.
The aviation safety management system (SMS) has been proven to be the most significant event to
make aviation more profitable and safer
Activity 9.9 - Aeronautical Science Perspective Paper
Aviation Safety and Quality Assurance
Despite having an enviable safety record, the aviation industry is under constant pressure to drive down
accident rates. Air accidents damage consumer confidence and inhibit the growth of the industry.
When it comes to flying, the word safety is mentioned constantly. Shortage of qualified professionals,
ageing of aircraft’s fleet and environmental concerns are some of the challenges faced by today’s
aviation. The primary goal of the aviation industry is to maintain airplane and helicopter safety
standards and protect the interests of the mechanics, flight crew, and passengers. It is important the use
of different techniques for increase of safety practices in a industry that is increasingly diverse,
complex, and under very significant pressure. John O 'Brian, from ALPA 's Engineering and Air Safety
Department, once mentioned “No matter how interested individual employees might be, or what
assistance a manufacturer offers, or how insistent a certificating authority might be—none of these
factors will have a significant effect on safety without support from top management”, so it is
imperative that managers and supervisors are well aware of the impact of their roles during the daily
operations.
As aviation evolves, a lot of programs and procedures were created in order to organize, monitor and
standardize maintenance practices and flight operations. From a safety management system (SMS) to a
flight data management (FDM) just to name a few, all these programs have the objective of collecting
all the data and identify areas that need improvement and determine the most cost-effective way to
increase safety.
The aviation safety management system (SMS) has been proven to be the most significant event to
make aviation more profitable and safer