Commercial aviation safety team identifies safety enhancements

Commercial aviation safety team identifies safety enhancements

Keywords: Air safety, Commercial aircraft

The AIA's Commercial Aviation Safety Team has identified safety enhancements to reduce the leading causes of commercial aviation accidents in the USA. By implementing 47 of the most promising improvements, CAST experts believe they can reduce the fatality risk of commercial air travel in the USA by 73 percent by 2007. A total of 31 safety enhancements have been completed, and 16 are under way. Safer Skies/CAST 47 Selected Safety Enhancements 31 completed/16 underway.

Safety enhancement 1: controlled flight into Terrain

Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS) (completed): This safety enhancement substantially reduces or eliminates CFIT accidents by improving pilot situational awareness by establishing appropriate procedures for the installation and use of Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) equipment. Procedures include proper flight crew reaction in regard to TAWS aural and visual warnings.

Action. The FAA issued a final rule in March 2000 that requires all new commercial aircraft to be equipped with TAWS equipment by March 2003 and the entire commercial fleet equipped by March 2005.

Safety enhancement 2: controlled flight into terrain

Standard operating procedures (SOP's) (completed): This safety enhancement ensures that all operators establish flight crew SOP's that fit that operator's particular operation, institute SOP training, and encourage operators to use SOP's in all normal operations.

Action. Industry and the FAA worked together to develop an SOP template that was published in new guidance, SOPs for Flight Deck Crew Members(AC 120-71).

Safety enhancement 3: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: vertical angles (completed): This safety enhancement develops criteria to support the inclusion of vertical angles on all existing instrument approach procedures allowing for a stabilized vertical descent to the runway end at all certificated airports within the USA.

Action. FAA's Aviation Systems Standards (AVN) developed a plan to include vertical angles on instrument approach procedures. Certificated airports(Part 139) were prioritized into high-, medium-, and low-risk categories and were completed first. A total of 84 percent of certificated airports currently have vertical angles included in their published instrument approach procedures.

Safety enhancement 4: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: VGSI at runway ends used by air carriers(completed): This safety enhancement develops and implements a plan to install Visual Glide Slope.

Indicators (VGSI) at each runway end of runways used by air carriers.

Action. New precision-like instrument approach procedures to all runway ends required VGSI lighting at all runway ends used by air carriers. FAA's Air Traffic System Requirements (ARS) developed a plan and installation has begun.

Safety enhancement 5: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: distant measuring equipment (DME)(completed): This safety enhancement establishes a plan to ensure installation of DME at airports where significant numbers of older air carrier aircraft are expected to operate or where particularly vulnerable instrument approach procedures are located, allowing for a stabilized vertical descent to the runway end.

Action. Additional DME installation is required in order for older generation commercial aircraft to use the new precision-like instrument approach procedures. FAA's ARS developed a plan to install DME's at locations where older generation commercial aircraft operate.

Safety enhancement 6: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: (RNAV) 3D instrument approach procedures(ongoing): This safety enhancement develops criteria in FAA Order 8260.48 for approach charts that include 3D RNAV minima and charting specifications for publication of approach charts, which include 3D RNAV minima. This will allow for a stabilized vertical descent to the runway end.

Safety enhancement 7: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: RNAV Required Navigation Performance (RNP)instrument approach procedures (ongoing): This safely enhancement adds Required Navigational Performance (RNP) criteria and guidance to FAA Order 8260.48,allowing for reduced landing minima. There are only a few air carriers that currently use RNP, and only on their newest airplanes. Authorization is granted by special operation specifications. This enhancement would allow all air carriers to use RNP for equipped aircraft.

Safety enhancement 8: controlled flight into terrain

Precision approach implementation: x- LS (ILS, MLS, GLS) (completed): This safety enhancement defines the parameters for future installation of the xLS(laterally and vertically guided approach path) to runway ends not served by Instrument Landing System (ILS) February 2, 2006 2.

Safety enhancement 9: controlled flight into terrain

Minimum safe altitude warning (MSAW) (completed): This safety enhancement ensures that ground- based radars and their associated by- products provide the necessary levels of terrain avoidance protection to aircraft operating domestically within the USA and that air traffic controller MSAW training is adequate and appropriate to operate.

Action. All current MSAW data was verified for accuracy. All MSAW systems were checked and a plan for re-check every 540 days was developed. ATC controllers were provided with initial and recurrent training on the use of MSAW.

Safety enhancement 10: controlled flight into terrain

Institute proactive safety plans: flight operations quality assurance (FOQA)and aviation safety action programs (ASAP) (completed): This safety enhancement develops and implements a mutually agreed upon methodology to use de-identified flight operations and quality assurance (FOQA), and aviation safety action partnership (ASAP) information to identify safety related issues and corrective actions. This will give operators the tools to identify safety issues and trends, and initiate corrective actions prior to an accident. It will also allow air carriers to share safety information.

Action. These are voluntary programs. FAA ASAP guidance was issued in January 2000 and revised in November 2002. There are currently 25 carriers participating in ASAP programs. The FOQA rule was issued in October 2001. There are currently 11 carriers participating in the FOQA programs. An additional two carriers are expected to have FOQA programs by March 31, 2003.

Safety enhancement 11: controlled flight into terrain

Training – CFIT prevention in crew resource management (CRM) Training(completed): This safety enhancement reduces CFIT accidents by promoting comprehensive SOPs as a key element of every Part 121 air carrier's CRM training program. Under a related project, a template for comprehensive SOPs is being developed, including SOPs that specifically address CFIT accident prevention.

Action. CRM Training (AC 120-51) was revised to stress the use of CFIT prevention using SOP's in CRM training. The new AC SOPs for Flight Deck Crew Members (AC 120-71) was also referenced.

Safety enhancement 12: controlled flight into terrain

Training CFIT prevention training (completed): This safety enhancement substantially reduces or eliminates the CFIT accident rate by adding CFIT prevention training and procedures to all Part 121 air carrier training curriculums that emphasize pilot situational awareness and escape procedures for flight crews to use in the event of a terrain warning indication.

Action. The CFIT Education and Training Aid was posted on the FAA's web site and distributed to every FAA's principal inspector for US Part 121 air carriers. It was also sent to every Regional Technical Branch requesting a review to determine if their carriers were conducting CFIT training and, if they were not requesting them, to voluntarily initiate a CFIT training program. It was determined that all US air carriers were conducting CFIT training.

Safety enhancement 13: controlled flight into terrain

Training – ATC CFIT training (completed): This safety enhancement reinforces current safety alert procedures and good air traffic operating practices by providing initial and recurrent ATC CFIT training for all controllers.

Action. Through the use of Air Traffic Bulletins (ATBs), Air Traffic Controllers now receive required initial and annual recurrent ATC CFIT training.

Safety enhancement 14: approach and landing

Policies for approach and landing reduction (ALAR) – safety culture(completed): This safety enhancement develops a strategy to that makes CEOs and other key officers of Part 121 air carriers more visible and more effective in promoting a safety culture targeted to preventing approach and landing accidents.

Action. The following safety culture guidance materials are endorsed by CAST: Operator's Aviation Safety Handbook, SAE-G18 committee document,and the FAA Audit Tool. Handbook Bulletin Air Transportation – 14 CFR Part 121 and 135 air carrier safety departments, programs, and safety directors (HBAT 99-19) was also endorsed by CAST and distributed to all certificate holders. CAST member organizations requested and received a safety commitment statement from air carrier CEO's. Directors of safety (DOS's), working through senior management, were requested to implement the guidance contained in HBAT 99-19. Results were reported to CAST member organizations.

Safety enhancement 15: approach and landing

Policies for ALAR – Safety Culture (completed): This safety enhancement tasks the DOS to ensure the establishment of a process to identify, review,analyze and include appropriate safety information in training programs and in manuals used by flight crews and maintenance staff.

Action. Handbook Bulletin Air Transportation – Policy Company Operating Manuals and Company Training Program Revisions for Compliance with Current Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual Revisions (HBAT 99-07)was endorsed by CAST. The DOS, through senior management, were asked to apply the principals of HBAT 99-07 to training programs and manuals used by flight crews and maintenance staff.

Safety enhancement 16: approach and landing

Policies for ALAR – safety culture (completed): This safety enhancement tasks the FAA to fully implement the AFM database for inspectors' use in surveillance by populating the database with records pertaining to all aircraft used in all operating parts of the CFR, and to support daily changes in records contained in the database.

Action. Handbook Bulletin for Air Transportation –Airplane Flight Manual Revisions and Aircraft Manufactures Operations Bulletins(HBAT 99-16) was issued as guidance for aircraft manufactures. Flight manual and operations bulletin revisions are forwarded to a centralized location to populate a database for use by FAA field inspectors conducting surveillance of their assigned air carriers.

Safety enhancement 17: approach and landing

Maintenance procedures (completed): This safety enhancement reduces approach and landing accidents by re- emphasizing current maintenance rules, policies,and procedures developed by the commercial airline operators and the FAA. This re-emphasis specifically directs that approved maintenance programs related to the servicing of components incorporate all of the original equipment manufacture (OEM) safety related components and procedures.

Action. Flight Standards Information Bulletin for Airworthiness– Cold Weather Servicing of Aircraft Nose Landing Gear Struts (FSAW 97-10) was issued as guidance for FAA field inspectors regarding adequate procedures to ensure aircraft nose landing gear struts are serviced in accordance with the manufacturers recommended methods for cold weather operations.

Safety enhancement 18: approach and landing

Maintenance procedures (completed): This safety enhancement reduced approach and landing accidents by re- emphasizing current maintenance rules, policies,and procedures developed by the commercial airline operators and the FAA. This re-emphasis specifically directs that both the operators and regulators increase oversight of sub- contract activity.

Action. Handbook Bulletin for Airworthiness – Air Carrier Operations Specifications to Make Arrangements with Other Organizations to Perform Substantial Maintenance and Aircraft and Maintenance Provider Contracts(HBAW 96-05C and 98-01) were issued to FAA field inspectors to specifically address FAA surveillance oversight activity of air carriers subcontractor activities and evaluation of contractual relationships between air carriers and maintenance providers.

Safety enhancement 19: approach and landing

Maintenance procedures (completed): This safety enhancement reduces approach and landing accidents by re- emphasizing current maintenance rules, policies,and procedures developed by the commercial airline operators and the FAA. This re-emphasis directs operators to strictly adhere to MEL policy and procedures.

Action: Joint Handbook Bulletins for Air Transportation and Airworthiness(HBAT 98-18 and HBAW 98-09) were issued to provide guidance to FAA aviation safety inspectors regarding the requirement for air carriers to include instructions concerning the MEL conditions and limitations.

Safety enhancement 20: approach and landing

Maintenance procedures (completed): This safety enhancement tasks the DOS to determine:

^• that the maintenance deficiencies described in safety enhancements 17-19 have been remedied; and

^• that quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure that those deficiencies are continually addressed.

Action. The DOS were asked to conduct an internal audit of their carrier to ensure that maintenance procedures adequately address the specified bulletins in SE 17, 18, and 19. Audit outcomes are to be reported to his/her respective CAST member.

Safety enhancement 21: approach and landing

Flight deck equipment upgrade/ installation to improve altitude awareness and checklist completion for new type design aircraft (completed): This safety enhancement ensures altitude awareness and accomplishment of checklist items. This will be accomplished through the development of guidelines and procedures for flight deck smart alerting system design and supporting operational procedures and training based upon:

^• The installation of automated checklist devices to provide a positive means for checklist completion.

^• Research and assessment of existing technology in flight deck smart- alerting system design.

^• The installation of equipment to provide automatic aural altitude alert call-outs on final approach or other such altitude alerting systems.

Action. Aircraft manufactures, airlines, and operators, in collaboration with the FAA's Aircraft Certification Service (AIR), have agreed to:

^• the implementation of interactive electronic checklist and smart alerting systems for New Type Design Aircraft; and

^• evaluate/consider, during checklist design, the principles contained in FAA Report “Human Performance Considerations in the Use and Design of Aircraft Checklist” the NASA Contract Report “On the Design of Flight-Deck Procedures” and the NASA Contract Report “Human Factors of Flight-Deck Checklist: The Normal Checklist” for New Type Design Aircraft.

Additionally, a notice of availability was issued by AIR defining the standards for manufactures to use in designing automatic aural altitude call-outs on final approach, including arrival at minimum decent altitude (MDA)and decision height (DH), for all New Type Designs.

Safety enhancement 23: approach and landing

Flight crew training (ALAR) (completed): This safety enhancement ensures that Part 121 air carriers implement syllabi that train and evaluate aircrews on stabilized approaches, unusual attitudes, and upset recoveries. Specific topics related to stabilized approaches should include: CRM, go around criteria,approaches with system malfunctions, non-normal conditions, emphasis on basic airmanship, approach briefings, approach and missed approach procedures.

Action: AFS-200 issued FSAT 01-12 stating the importance of ALAR type flight crew training and introduced a training guide developed by ATA and the ALAR JSIT(Joint Safety Implementation Team) with instructions to all Part 121 POI's to convey the contents of FSAT 01-12 to their assigned Air Carrier. AFS-1 then directed a review to ascertain the number of air carriers that implemented the recommended ALAR training. The review revealed that all air carriers were in fact training in the eight topic areas described in FSAT 01-12 with the exception of eight carriers who were training in seven of the ALAR topics and one carrier was training in six of the topic areas. ATA, RAA, and NACA,contacted their members of the eight air carriers and requested they voluntarily implement ALAR training in all of the ALAR topics recommended in FSAT 01-12.

Safety enhancement 24: approach and landing

Aircraft design – continuing airworthiness (ongoing): This safety enhancement promotes incorporation of fault tolerant design principles for flight critical system components and to facilitate critical point,flight-realistic-condition, certification testing/analysis. Changes to flight critical system components will be considered a major change unless the applicant can show the change is in fact a minor change and monitors the continued airworthiness (in-service failures) of these systems using a risk assessment focused methodology.

Safety enhancement 25: approach and landing

Aircraft design – critical system maintenance (ongoing): This safety enhancement is for the FAA to issue guidance on acceptable procedures to ensure that maintenance activities involving flight critical system components do not reduce or compromise the designed level of safety and is in accordance with FAA approved data.

Safety enhancement 26: loss of control

Policies and procedures- SOPs (completed): This safety enhancement ensures that all airline operators publish and enforce clear, concise, and accurate flight crew SOPs. These SOPs should include expected procedures during pre/post flight and all phases of flight, i.e. checklists, simulator training, PF/PNF duties, transfer of control, automation operation, rushed and/or unstabilized approaches, rejected landings and missed approaches, in-flight pilot icing reporting, and flight crew coordination. Operator instructors and check airman should ensure these SOPs are trained and enforced in their aircrew proficiency and standardization programs.

Safety enhancement 27: loss of control

Policies and procedures – risk assessment and management (ongoing):This safety enhancement identifies or develops and implements methods for operators, regulators, and manufacturers to prioritize safety related decisions. The project will improve methods of risk assessment for operational issues related to service bulletins, aircraft accident/incident analysis, flight critical safety information, and recurring intermittent failures related to dispatch.

Safety enhancement 28: loss of control

Policies and procedures – policies (completed): This safety enhancement ensures that essential safety information and operational procedures generated by airplane manufacturers are included hi operating manuals and training programs for pilots, and other appropriate employee groups.

Action. Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) communicated with aircraft manufactures the importance of timely discrimination of essential safety information and procedures to aircraft operators. As guidance, AIA also distributed Handbook Bulletin Air Transportation, Flight Standards Policy Company operating Manuals and Company training Programs for Compliance with Current Airplane or Rotorcraft Revisions (HBAT 99-07) February 2, 2006 8.

Safety enhancement 29: loss of control

Policies and procedures – policies (completed): This safety enhancement is to ensure that air carriers have a process to enhance pilot proficiency.

Action. ALPA (Air Line Pilots Association), in collaboration with other pilot associations, developed a program to continuously improve pilot performance and proficiency utilizing information from other programs such as FOQA (Flight Operation Quality Assurance), AQP (Advanced Qualification Program)and ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program). The program is non-punitive,voluntary, and managed by the individual airlines. ATA (Air Transport Association), in collaboration with other airline groups (Aligned Carriers)voluntarily implemented the program.

Safety enhancement 30: loss of control

Training – human factors and automation (ongoing): This safety enhancement is to reduce loss of control accidents by having Part 121 air carrier incorporate training that emphasizes flight crewmember situational awareness, crew coordination during multitasking, and the use of automation in conjunction with CRM. Flight crews should be trained to use the appropriate levels of automation. Emphasis should be placed on the knowledge of functional operations, and the capabilities and limitations of automation.

Safety enhancement 31: loss of control

Training – advanced maneuvers (ongoing): Advanced maneuvers training(AMT) refers to training to prevent and recover from hazardous flight conditions outside of the normal flight envelope. Examples include in- flight upsets,stalls, ground proximity and wind shear escape maneuvers, and inappropriate energy state management conditions.

This safety enhancement collects and provides advanced maneuver training material and to encourage Part 121 operators to use these materials to implement advanced maneuver ground and flight training using appropriate flight training equipment. Emphasis should be given to stall onset recognition and recovery,unusual attitudes, upset recoveries, effects of icing, energy awareness and management, and causal factors that can lead to loss of control.

Additionally, research should be conducted to determine how existing flight simulation devices may be used effectively in AMT.

Safety enhancement 32: loss of control

Autoflight features in new airplane designs (ongoing): This safety enhancement reduces fatal accidents due to loss of control by recommending and supporting the development of regulations and guidance material that ensure or encourage autoflight (autopilot and autothrust) systems in new airplane designs to accomplish the following:

^• minimize the probability of creating a thrust asymmetry that could lead to loss of control;

^• yield control to significant manual flight control forces (e.g. force disconnects);

^• annunciate to the flight crew if aircraft response differs significantly from what the autopilot has been commanded to do;

^• ensure autopilot internal monitor logic does not inappropriately disconnect the autopilot when it is properly attempting to correct for deviations from the commands it receives; and

^• include low speed protection.

Safety enhancement 34: loss of control

Display and alerting features in new airplane designs (ongoing): This safety enhancement reduces fatal accidents due to loss of control, display and alerting systems in new airplane designs should include:

^• graphic speed trend information;

^• a pitch limit indication;

^• bank angle limits to buffet;

^• barber poles and amber bands on primary airspeed indications;

^• detection and annunciation of conflicting attitude,airspeed and altitude data information;

^• detection and removal of invalid attitude, airspeed and altitude data information (i.e. from an internal fault);

^• detection and removal of misleading attitude, airspeed and altitude data information (i.e. from an external sensor fault) to the extent feasible;

^• information to perform effective manual recovery from unusual attitudes using chevrons, sky pointers, and/or permanent ground-sky horizon on all attitude indications;

^• salient annunciation of autoflight mode changes and engagement status changes (e.g. blinking/ colored/boxed mode information);

^• effective sideslip information and alerting of excessive sideslip (e.g. split trapezoid on attitude indicator); and

^• clear annunciation of engine limit exceedances and significant thrust loss.

Safety enhancement 39: loss of control

Criteria for flight in icing conditions for new airplane designs (ongoing):This safety enhancement reduces loss of control fatal accidents by recommending amended icing certification criteria for new airplane designs not equipped with evaporative (i.e. hot wing) systems. The criteria would include performance and handling quality requirements for:

^• residual ice;

^• intercycle ice;

^• delayed anti-icing/de-icing system activation; and

^• de-icing/anti-icing system malfunction.

Safety enhancement 40: loss of control

Flight envelope protection in new airplane designs (completed): This safety enhancement reduces fatal accidents due to loss of control. New airplane designs should include angle- of-attack/low speed protection, thrust asymmetry compensation, and bank angle protection using hard or soft limits.

Fly-by-wire active flight envelope protection technology does not exist for turboprop airplanes. Turbo-prop manufacturers should strive, to the fullest extent, to provide the protection benefits of these systems in their new airplane designs.

Action. AIA communicated with airbus industries, Boeing, Embraer, and Bombardier Aerospace encouraging them to incorporate angle-of attack/low speed protection, thrust asymmetry compensation, and bank angle protection into all new fly- by-wire aircraft designs. All four manufactures have agreed to incorporate flight envelope protection into future airplane designs.

Safety enhancement 46: runway incursions

Air traffic control training (ongoing): This safety enhancement updates controller training programs and course curriculums designed to improve the level of knowledge, skill and proficiency that supports and enhances system efficiency, thereby increasing safety by fostering a higher level of situational awareness:

Safety enhancement 47: runway incursions

Air traffic control training (ongoing): This safety enhancement increases teamwork in the tower cab environment. All tower controllers should receive a course similar to CRM for pilots.

Safety enhancement 49: runway incursions

SOPs – runway incursion prevention (ongoing): This safety enhancement reduces the risk of runway incursions and surface incidents by recommending that all FAR Part 121 operators and Part 135 operators establish, document, train and follow SOPs for ground operations.

Safety enhancement 50: runway incursions

February 2, 2006 11

SOPs – runway incursion prevention (completed): This safety enhancement reduces the risk of runway incursions by establishing and disseminating recommended practices for general aviation (GA) ground operations.

Action. Part 91 Pilot and Flight Crew Procedures during Taxi Operations and Part 135 Single-Pilot Operations (AC 91-73) was drafted and published as guidance for general aviation ground operations.

Safety enhancement 51: runway incursions

SOPs – runway incursion prevention (completed): This safety enhancement reduces the frequency and severity of runway incursions by the developing and implementing recommended best practices for mechanics and others who tow or otherwise move aircraft within the airport movement area.

Action. FAA prepared and distributed a CD (FAA Taxi 101) as guidance for mechanics and others who tow or move aircraft within airport movement areas.

Safety enhancement 52: runway incursions

SOPs – runway incursion prevention (ongoing): This safety enhancement helps prevent runway incursions/ surface incidents by developing and implementing recommended best practices for vehicle operations in the aircraft movement area and driver training.

Safety enhancement 53: runway incursions

Situational awareness technologies for air traffic control (ongoing): This safety enhancement develops and implements technology tools including data link that will provide and/or enhance airport surface situational awareness to air traffic controllers. Examples of these technology tools include, but are not limited to, Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS), Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X), Automated Dependent Surveillance

^• Broadcast (ADS-B), Next Generation Air-Ground Communications System (NEXCOM), Surface Movement Advisor (SMA), and Airport Target Identification System (ATIDS). The strategies for accomplishing this project include:

^• New technology tools will be developed by the FAA to enable enhanced surveillance, information, communication and conflict detection for ATC operations.

^• FAA and airport operators will provide airport surface surveillance equipment with conflict alerting capability at air traffic control towers.

^• Digital data link capability will be developed and implemented to enable automatic transmission of ATC instructions/information(between the ground and aircraft).

^• Situational awareness displays developed in support of the above listed strategies will incorporate industry best practices for computer-human interface (CHI) design to enhance and support ATC decision-making.

Safety enhancement 55: runway incursions

Air traffic control procedures (completed): This safety enhancement substantially reduces runway incursions and improves aviation safety through the use of nationally standardized procedures that focus on situational awareness in the control tower.

Action. The Office of Runway Safety incorporated this Safety Enhancement into their 2002-2003 Runway Safety Blueprint (Objective 3.2). Objective 3.2 of the Runway Safety Blueprint was closed in December of 2002,thus, closing Safety Enhancement 55 as well. The national situational awareness requirements are outlines in FAA Order 7210.3 S (Facility Operation and Administration).

Safety enhancement 59: runway incursions

Air traffic control procedures (completed): This safety enhancement creates a shared responsibility to ensure clear understanding of specific control instructions through the use of mandatory readbacks of any instructions or clearances to enter a specific runway, hold short of a specific runway, or“taxi into position and hold” instructions. It is currently the sole responsibility of the controller to seek and receive acknowledgement for these instructions.

Action. Advisory circulars (ACs) 120- 74A and 91-73A were published ensuring readback of all ATC instructions or clearances in the three specific areas. Further, the Runway Safety Program Office issued related material recommending the readback of allATC instructions or clearances. Finally, the readback requirements will be published in the February 2005 issue of the AIM(Airman's Information Manual)

Safety enhancement 60: runway incursions

Pilot training (completed): This safety enhancement substantially reduces or eliminates the risk of Runway Incursions (RI) by the incorporation of RI training into flight crew qualification, approved training, and other pilot training programs. This training will increase the pilot's ability to recognize and avoid situations leading to RI.

Action. The Runway Safety Program Office established and published a reference library of runway safety materials to be shared with industry. The number of runway surface movement tasks was increased on all required Pilot Certification Practical Test, first by Policy Memo and Flight Standards Information Bulletin (FSIB) and then by revision to all required written test and the practical test standards. ACs AC 91-73: Part 91, Pilot Procedures During Taxi Operations and Part 135 Single Pilot Operations and AC 120-74: Part 121,125, and 135 Flight Crew Procedures During Taxi Operations were published issuing guidance for airport surface operations and use of Standard Operations Procedures (SOP's). AC 120-35: Line Operational Situations: Line Oriented Flight Training, Special Purpose Operational Training, Line Operational Evaluation was revised to include taxi operations in air carrier LOFT training scenarios. AC 120 51: CRM Training was revised providing guidance for clear delineation of captain command oversight training and first officer monitoring responsibilities during airport surface movements February 2, 2006.

Safety enhancement 78: turbulence

Cabin injury reduction during turbulence (ongoing): This safety enhancement reduces turbulence injuries to flight attendants (FA's) and passengers through improved situational awareness, turbulence encounter management procedures(before, during and after encounter), and enhanced communication methodologies standardized across all Part 121 air carriers.

Safety enhancement 84: uncontained engine failures

Uncontained engine failures (UEF) (completed): This safety enhancement eliminates UEF by mandatory inspections of the disks of turbine engines during shop visits.

Action. The aviation industry is using improved methods and technology to detect potential defects in aircraft engines. Working in partnership,government and industry are using enhanced inspections for certain high- energy rotating engine components. The initiative is based on an extensive analysis conducted by the FAA and industry on the historical causes of engine-related accidents. The FAA issued 23 Airworthiness Directives (ADs) requiring that operators inspect fan, high-pressure turbine and priority low-pressure turbine engine components.

Safety enhancement 85: loss of control

Vertical situation displays (VSD) – new airplane designs (completed):This safety enhancement reduces loss of control accidents by including vertical situation displays in all new airplane designs and to determine the feasibility of installing vertical situation displays on existing airplanes.

Action. AIA communicated with Airbus Industries, Boeing, Embraer, and Bombardier Aerospace encouraging them to incorporate vertical situation displays into all new aircraft designs. All four manufactures have agreed to incorporate vertical situation displays into future airplane designs.