Civil Aviation Authority

"In view of the prima facie possibility that either or both the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority or Air Traffic and Navigation Services may be partly or wholly responsible for the circumstances leading up to this accident and accordingly liable for damages, it is in our view wholly inappropriate for the accident investigation to be conducted by SACAA and ATNS since this will undoubtedly lead to suspicions of a ‘cover up'. It is for this reason that the legislature has provided for an independent Investigation Board."

The AOPA chairman then called on the Minister of Transport to provide full written reasons in terms of the promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000, why the Aviation Safety Investigation Board had not yet been constituted and why it was not investigating this accident. He pointed out that on September 17 the Minister had made a statement in a speech that the Department of Transport would be working on the establishment of the Aviation Safety Committee as enshrined in the new Act.

Marais pointed out that the Minister had said:"As the Minister of Transport, I view aviation security as a priority. The new Act is stringent on security issues, especially as it will meet our harsher sentences and penalties."

Maris the asked in this letter:"Is the fact that the Minister has not yet established the board not a contravention of his own Act and should the minister himself not be penalized? Or is it simply a case of gross negligence?

"We also cal upon the Director of the CAA to furnish full written reasons in terms of PAJA why the CAA and ATNS are investigating this accident when there is a clear conflict of interest which impacts upon the rights of both the injured parties and the aviation public.

"It is AOPAs view that an investigation by an independent body would also have the effect of vindicating innocent parties who may otherwise remain under suspicion in the eyes of the public," said Marais.

At the time of going to press with this edition, no reply had been received either from the Director-General of Transport or the SACAA.

Radial Tyre Capacity to Double By Early 2011

Goodyear Aviation has announced that its radial aircraft tyre expansion project will be completed ahead of schedule by the first quarter of 2011 which will double thecompanys radial tyre production capacity.

"Goodyear has always been an innovator in radial aircraft tyres, having introduced the first FAA-approved radial tyre in 1983,"said Bert Aertssen, Goodyear Aviations global general manager."In view of recent structural changes in the market place, we recognized that the demand for radial aircraft tyres would continue to increase.

"Therefore, we jumped ahead of the growth curve and launched in 2008 an important expansion project that will result in doubling our capacity to build light-weight radial tyres to serve our airline, military and business jet customers by the end of the first quarter2011."

As a company recognized for its innovative technology, Goodyear has continuously devised new technologies to provide light-weight aircraft tyres, with no compromise in toughness. The introduction of light alloy metal bead cores, and body plies made from the merger of tough, yet light, materials such as aramid and nylon, has resulted in further weight reduction of its radial tyres that are capable of performing in the high stress environment of the aviation industry.

As a testament to its capacity to develop radial tyres for light weight and optimized cost of operation, Goodyear will have the radial fitment for the prestigious Gulfstream G650 business jet when it enters service in 2012.

Port Alfred-based 43 Air School has added a new training course to its growing list of facilities, namely training air traffic controllers for which it has established and recently opened its new Air Traffic Services Training College on the campus that will provide students with the highest level of instruction according to SACAA regulations and in accordance with ICAO standards.

With the approval of the schools Air Traffic Services Aviation Training Organization (ATS ATO) license granted earlier this year, 43 Air School became the first privately-owned ATS ATO in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Air Traffic Service Assistant (ATSA) and aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) courses offered by 43 Air School will be complemented by the introduction of the Aerodrome Control Course, Approach and Area Procedural and Radar courses in 2011.

Simulator training on the Aerodrome Control course will be provided utilizing a state-of-the-art Bar log 360 degrees aerodrome simulator, which is currently being installed at the facility ready for the start of the first course early next month.

The generic "operations airport" of the simulator is somewhere in the "deep Karoo" .The graphics are considered "awesome "and very realistic. It is built in a circle with 12 "out-stations" (simulated aircraft flying at varying speeds etc) and one instructor/student station in the middle of the circular simulator.

Brian Van Hout, who heads up 43 Air Schools ATC training, was previously in charge of ATC training in the SAAF.

ATS Training will be provided by the schools professional team of instructors under the leadership of Van Hout, whose experience includes both military and ICAO colleges. Colectively, 43 Air Schools ATS Instructors have an average of 25 years operational and instructional ATS experience in both the civilian and military environments. The ATS College makes use of staff which includes: two Grade 1 designated examiners; a Grade 1 instructor and four ground school instructors.

The worldwide need for ATCs has never been greater with many ATS facilities operating with staff levels below the accepted norm. In the USA alone, in order to meet the predicted shortages, the FAA will be training in excess of 17000 new controllers in the period to 2018.

Commenting on the new service, a 43 Air School spokesman told World Air news: "Our unique environment allows us to expose student ATCs to a variety of aspects found in aviation. Students ATCs are afforded the opportunity to either experience the world of the pilot at the controls of one of our aircraft while interacting with our experienced ATC personnel, or as a passenger listening to the interaction between pilot and ATC while enjoying the flying experience.

"The environment also lends itself to the regular interaction between ATC students and aircrew, both qualified and under training.

"Our ATS College has trained and qualified eight SACAA-licensed AFIS operators who are utilized in our control tower at Port Alfred and, until recently, the control tower at Bhisho. These AFIS operators handle in excess of 7000 aircraft movements monthly at Port Alfred," he said.

Once having joined the ranks of the Air Traffic Control profession, the students will be part of a worldwide team that is responsible for safely guiding thousands of aircraft through the international airspace system every day.

A comprehensive curriculum that integrates classroom instruction and simulator training will prepare students to be certified by their respective regulators as Air Traffic Controllers. Standard courses for the training of ATC personnel have been designed in order to offer a training program me which conforms to SACAA and ICAO course guidelines.

The South Africa Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has announced the introduction of a new centralized Safety Reporting System that is aimed at improving aviation safety by reducing aircraft accidents.

The new system provides a platform for the public and those that are involved in aviation operations such as pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, engineers, airport and ground personnel , to report unsafe activities, omissions and "situations" that could lead to an aircraft accident. The new system, however, does not replace the reporting of an accident or serious incident which should still be reported to the Accident and Incident Investigation Division of the SACAA.

The SACAAs Director of Civil Aviation, Colin Jordaan, said:"The Central Safety Management Reporting Facility was introduced in order to meet the requirements stated in the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) around safety management.

"Most importantly, the new system is a proactive procedure which enables anyone to report aviation safety risks, on the ground or in the air, whether perceived or real, that could prevent an aircraft accident".

The announcement of the new system comes a few weeks after aviation experts gathered at a seminar convened by the SACAA to discuss safety concerns and whether the relatively new concept of the Safety Management System (SMS) is the ultimate solution to aviation safety.

The centralized Safety Reporting System, which forms part of the broader Safety Management System, accommodates three types of reporting, namely: voluntary, mandatory and confidential. The reporting system also affords "Whistle-blowers" confidentiality.

"Ensuring aviation safety is a daunting task, especially when the general public and role players in the aviation industry are not proactive taking part in reporting unsafe behavior and events that could lead to an accident. With the introduction of the Centralized Safety Reporting System, the process of alerting the SACAA to risky acts, omissions and events has been made easier.

"Through this system and with everyone's involvement ,we are optimistic that hazards can be identified well in advance, thereby providing those involved with an opportunity to prevent any potential loss of life, injury or damage to property," explained Ms Louise Stols,general manager : risk and compliance at the SACAA.

According to MS Stols, reports sent to the SACAA through the Centralized Reporting System are held in strict confidence."For instamnce, reporters may, but are not required to, submit their names and contact information. Moreover, when among analyzing or disseminating the report among relevant departments for follow-up, all identifying information about the submitter is removed."

She added: "Once a report is received, it is logged and where necessary de-identified and then distributed to the relevant SACAA technical department for further investigation."

On a quarterly basis, the reports are analysed and statistical data or information in terms of identified trends is then shared with the aviation community to ensure that lessons are learnt and where necessary steps are taken to rectify mistakes.

"The safety reporting system is a non-punitive system, meaning that reports are investigated with the objective of preventing reoccurrence and not to apportion blame or legal liability. However, in cases where reports indicate serious safety deficiencies that are blatantly and deliberately disregarding applicable regulations, even after the SACAA has alerted the responsible individuals or entities, applicable regulatory or judicial actions will be instituted against such perpetrators;" said Ms Stols.

"While we acknowledge that risk is inherent to the aviation industry, we also believe that most of the aircraft accidents we have encountered thus far could have been prevented had someone taken the initiative to report the risky behavioral trends, events and omissions encountered or observed that compromised safety," concluded Captain Jordaan.