Our Airworthiness Safety Review Panel (SRP) Updates
Safety is the top priority in the CAA. We believe in transparency and continuous improvement to ensure the highest standards of aviation safety. As part of our commitment, we regularly conduct Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) reviews during the Airworthiness Safety Review Panel (SRP) meetings.
Why We're Sharing Action Level Items
The action level items from our SPI reviews are critical insights that help us identify areas for improvement and implement effective safety measures. By sharing these items, we aim to:
- Enhance Transparency: Provide clear and accessible information about our safety practices and ongoing efforts.
- Promote Accountability: Demonstrate our dedication to maintaining and improving safety standards.
- Encourage Collaboration: Foster a culture of open communication and teamwork within the aviation community.
Action level items from our SPI reviews:
Maintenance Interval Exceedances (June 25)
The CAA reviews Mandatory Occurrence Reports submitted in accordance with UK Regulation 376/2016 against Safety Performance Indicator’s (SPI) to determine when and what action is required. A recent review against Maintenance Interval Exceedances identified an increasing trend for fixed wing aircraft.
This SPI includes reports attributed to differing reasons for a maintenance interval exceedance, including:
- Procedural issues (including missed checks, incorrect setups, and incomplete tasks, indicating gaps in execution and adherence to standard operating procedures.)
- Planning failures (Overruns due to scheduling errors, forecasting issues, or deferred maintenance highlight the importance of robust planning systems and proactive maintenance scheduling.)
- Documentation errors (Errors in logs, records, or reporting can lead to compliance issues and missed maintenance, emphasizing the need for accurate and timely documentation.)
In this instance, an associated ‘Action Level’ was exceeded, with a continuing trend. A compounding concern is that the CAA has traditionally seen an increasing trend over the summer period.
In order to reduce the risk of a maintenance interval exceedance event, the CAA recommend organisations take the following action:
- Ensuring that the hazard log / risk register identifies and adequately mitigates this issue.
- Organisations should take necessary steps to raise awareness of this increasing trend with their employees to help reduce this issue.
- Organisations should ensure all personnel are competent for the tasks being performed.
- Ensuring appropriate root cause, corrective and preventative actions address the potential reoccurrence for the whole fleet managed, not just the single instance of identified maintenance interval exceedance. (CAA publication Effective Problem Solving and Root Cause Identification (CAP1760) provides more information)
In support of a summer readiness programme, the CAA recommends the following:
- Monitor MEL & deferral trends to avoid normalisation
- Audit maintenance records to assure standards
- Incorporate heat risks into maintenance checks to reduce unplanned failures
- Communicate operational changes to avoid overload
- Avoid burnout, review work and rest patterns, balance workload and hold fatigue briefings
- Foster a culture that encourages Safety Reporting
These summer readiness recommendations have been produced by a CAMO/SMS working group facilitated by the UK CAA.
Damage to aircraft due to contact with ground equipment (March 25)
The UK CAA reviews Mandatory Occurrence Reports submitted in accordance with UK Regulation 376/2016 against Safety Performance Indicator’s (SPI) to determine when and what action is required. A recent review against ATA 5300 identified an increase in damage to aircraft’s fuselage structure for fixed wing aircraft.
This SPI includes reports of instances of damage found to aircraft:
- during pre-flight/post-flight walk-arounds,
- damage from birds or lightning,
- and damage due to contact with ground equipment.
In this instance, an associated ‘Action Level’ was exceeded, with a continuing trend. The increase in this quarterly rate was influenced by damage to fuselage structure due to contact with ground equipment.
In order to reduce the risk of damage to an aircraft structure due to contact with ground equipment, the UK CAA recommend organisations take the following action:
- Confirmation that ‘damage due to contact with ground equipment’ is a risk identified within the organisations Hazard and Risk management system.
- Organisations operating around aircraft with ground equipment should take necessary steps to raise awareness of this increasing trend with their employees to help reduce this issue.
- Organisations operating around aircraft with ground equipment have:
- Robust initial and re-current training programs that identify steps to mitigate damage due to contact with ground equipment.
- Regular inspections of ramp equipment to ensure ‘safety bump stops’ are serviceable.
Organisations that already include this risk within their risk management process are recommended to review their adopted safety mitigations for effectiveness.