FLIGHTFAX: Army Aviation Risk-Management Information. Volume 27, Number 12, December 1999. Improving Aviation Safety Performance
Abstract
As an Army we are involved in missions around the world and doing a lot of things without the experience base we once enjoyed. This lack of experience, continuous deployments, and not having the discipline to maintain and enforce standards are basic causes of accidental losses. Some of us wearing wings are not executing fundamental tasks, those taught to us in flight school, to standard. Analysis of major FY99 aviation accidents reveals that most of the accidents didn't happen at the time of impact or during the crash sequence; they really occurred much earlier with a breakdown in leadership, standards or discipline. In fact, FY99 produced Army aviation's worst safety performance since Desert Shield/Desert Storm. With 18 Class A aviation flight accidents and 20 fatalities, the upward trend in accidents that began in FY98 continued to climb. When leaders fail to enforce established standards, the natural result is accidents-and accidents cost. They cost lives, they cost time, and they cost equipment: a total cost of more than $ 139 million for aviation in FY99. The bottom line: soldiers are dying and we are destroying costly equipment at a rate that is unacceptable. Leaders who understand and accept responsibility will help solve this Armywide problem. Effective leaders will make sure soldiers know what the standards are and will ensure the standards are enforced.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA372187
Entities
Organizations
- United States Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center