In part one of this series, we spoke about the basic components of your Safety Self-Inspection program. In part 2 we will discuss Part 139.305, Paved Areas. It is Important to know the Part 139 regulations, and the standards in your approved ACM. Finding the discrepencies is one thing, understanding them, and dealing with them properly is another. All of the rules and regulations are based on the safety of your airfield and those that use it.

When you are inspecting your airfield it consist of more then driving down the runway at a high rate of speed. Yes, sometimes Air Traffic Control (ATC) rush us, or are we allowing them to rush us. We have a job to do and that is to make sure the airfield is safe to be used regardless of the time it takes to complete the duties.

Part 139.305

The certificate holder (The Airport) must maintain, and promptly repair the pavement of, each runway, taxiway, loading ramp, and parking area on the airport that is available for air carrier use.
The pavement edges must not exceed 3 inches difference in elevation between abutting pavement sections and between pavement and abutting areas.
The pavement must have no hole exceeding 3 inches in depth nor any hole the slope of which from any point in the hole to the nearest point at the lip of the hole is 45 degrees or greater, as measured from the pavement surface plane, unless, in either case, the entire area of the hole can be covered by a 5-inch diameter circle.
The pavement must be free of cracks and surface variations that could impair directional control of air carrier aircraft, including any pavement cracks or surface deterioration that produces loose aggregate or other contaminants.
Mud, dirt, sand, loose aggregate, debris, foreign objects, rubber deposits, and other contaminants must be removed promptly and as completely as practicable.

Foreign Object Debris(FOD), needs to be removed immediately. The areas causing the FOD should be monitored and kept clear of FOD until the pavement can be repaired. Pavement breaking up is not the only cause of FOD. Trash, maintenance tools, aircraft and vehicle parts, also cause FOD, just to name a few. All these items can be and will be found on your airfield, and can cause damage to aircraft and injure people. Please pick them up when spotted.

The pavement must be sufficiently drained and free of depressions to prevent ponding that obscures markings or impairs safe aircraft operations.

Weeds need to be completely removed and the cracks need sealing to prevent week growth & deterioration of the pavement.

The "Paser" program that will help you evaluate your pavement conditions. As we know, pavement/concrete is essential for aircraft and vehicles to move about the airfield.
Here are the links to the Paser manuals.
Concrete Airfield Pavement Paser Manual
Asphalt Airfield Pavement Paser Manual

Inspecting the pavement is an essential part of your Daily Self-Inspection Program. Pay close attention to slowly deteriorating areas. No safety issue is to small to report.

In our next post of the "Safety Self-Inspection Program" we will discuss Part 139.307, Safety Areas.

Don't Just Go Through The Motions!

Part 139 Section 327 governs your Self-Inspection program. Your approved Airport Certification Manual (ACM), Tab 14 will state the procedures for complying with this section. Advisory Circular 150/5200-18(C) will assist you in developing and evaluating your program. A strong Self-Inspection program is essential for the safety of your airport and compliance with Part 139 Subpart D-Operations.

Each airport shall provide the proper equipment to conduct the inspections. A properly marked airport vehicle, two-way radio, checklist and a diagram of the airport. This may vary from airport to airport, but that should cover the basics. Your program should have procedures for
Rapidly disseminating information, The use of the Notices To Airmen System(NOTAMs) . Discrepancies discovered during your inspection may require you to issue a NOTAM. This will be covered more in the NOTAMs section of this Safety Self-Inspection-Series. As we talk more about safety and self-inspections, the training of the personnel conduction these inspection is very important. Your training program should consist of but not limited to: Duties in accordance with the ACM, Airport Familiarization, Movement and Safety Area Procedures, Communications. All training records should be kept on file for a minimum of 24 months. A reporting system must be established To ensure prompt correction to unsafe conditions. Some airports have computerized systems, others have hand written forms. Regardless of the system you use, be sure to disseminate the information in a prompt manner. Your inspections and workorders should we kept on file for at least 12 months।

There are four components of a successful Self-Inspection program: Regularly Scheduled, Continuous Surveillance, Periodic, and Special Inspections.

Regularly Scheduled Inspections are performed daily. According to your Approved ACM these Inspections could be performed two or three times a day.
Continuous Surveillance is an everyday part of your job. Regardless of the activity on your airfield. Construction projects, Fueling events, Wildlife activity, Monitoring ground vehicles, FOD checks. As airport employees, we are the eyes and ears for the safety and security on the airfield.
Periodic Inspections shall be performed weekly, monthly, quarterly, on fueling vehicles, fuel farms, ARFF vehicles, or any other area on the airport to assure compliance with Federal, State and or local regulations.
Special Inspections will be performed after a Accident/Incident, Wildlife strike, Construction, or before a SMGCS operations.
After a accident/incident, the aircraft or responding vehicles could have left FOD on the runway or taxiway, leaving a unsafe condition. Wildlife strikes also leave FOD, this can cause aircraft to loose direction. The carcase can also attract other wildlife for feeding. When your construction crew is finished for the day, inspect the site, make sure all vehicles, and tools are in the right area for the night. All trenches are filled in, and issue or cancel the proper NOTAMs. If applicable to your airport, SMGCS Operations require special attention. You are dealing with very low visibility (600-1200 RVR). Caution needs to be used at all times. Follow your SMGCS plan, make sure the airfield is to standards before allowing aircraft to move about the airfield.

These are the basics of your Safety Self-Inspection Program. If you have a program in place please review and update it annually. If you don't have a program in place, review Advisory Circular 150/5200-18C for a guideline.

This is the first post in out Safety Self-Inspection Program Series. In the next post we will talk about the specific topics within the Self-Inspections.

DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS!

NATA Safety 1st eTookit Issue 31 is available for download.

As the weather begins to improve, we start to think about the busy summer season. Preparations are needed including hiring seasonal staff. In the environment we work in, hiring isn't so easy. With security measures so high, it can take up to two weeks to get a new employee clearance to move about the AOA without an escort! Training the new employee(s) can take a week just to get them out on the ramp to begin On-The Job-Training. We would prefer to rehire experienced employees, but that's not always possible. College students classes start in early September maybe late August. College graduates are beginning their careers. Another option is a foreign student program. In the aviation profession, communications with each other and the captain of the aircraft are every day events. Continually we are communicating over radios. Being able to speak English is a requirement, learning and understanding aviation terms and jargon is essential. These conditions are a major safety concern. The last thing anyone wants is an injury due to lack of or miscommunication. Seasonal employees are not needed year round, so when do you get over the learning curve. If your are not able to rehire experienced help, it never ends.

Take the time to train your seasonal staff. Review your training program annually. Make small changes. Add in new material, take out areas that did not work. As a trainer, supervisor, or instructor, the responsibility lies in your hands. As a ramp agent, take advantage of the training you are given. Ask questions, the only stupid question is the one that is not asked. Your training program should consist of more than watching videos, taking a test and off you go to fuel a 40 million dollar jet. If I, as an instructor had you watch a video, just have a short discussion about it, then i send you out to perform the duty alone, what result should I expect.
Do not allow your staff to perform duties they are not completely comfortable with. If you as they supervisor are busy, send another experienced employee with the student. As they student, request help when your not sure how to complete the duty safely.

If your employees don't understand aviation lingo, or don't speak your language very well you have to be extremely careful। One false move can cause serious injury or death to you or others। NATA has an established Line Service Program, here is the link to there website.

The FAA has recently published a new Airport Safety Self-Inspection DVD.
Your Certification Inspector will issue you a copy। If you need it before then you may contact me via email.
You can request a copy from the FAA through this link.

Driver Training is an essential part of the safety on the airport grounds. There are mandatory initial and recurrent driver training programs at some airports. If you drive on the ramps/aprons, from terminal to terminal, or if you drive on the taxiways and runways (movement area) the training you have is very important on a day-to-day basis. What if you are part of the ARFF Department, do you still need driver training? Absolutely! Anyone driving on the AOA should have driver training regardless of their duties।

I'd like to share a story with you.

It's about 5pm, all the administration and maintenance personnel have gone home for the day. There are two ARFF responders on shift. They receive a call from the air traffic control tower (ATCT) to notify them that there is a aircraft inbound with an possible gear problem. Off they go to save the day, well maybe not but they are going to assist in the best possible way. The aircraft lands with no incident, but the pilot makes the decision that he can't taxi the aircraft to the gate and shuts it down on the taxiway. The ARFF vehicle positions on the nose as the aircraft is evacuated. They know have nine souls wondering about the aircraft on the taxiway. At this time there is no one manning the operations office, no one to drive a vehicle to the scene to assist these people that where on the plane. Just then they look up and here comes the FBO passenger bus pulling up to the aircraft. The bus is being driven by a FBO customer service employee that has not had driver training for five years.
The passengers were transported to the terminal with no problem, the aircraft towed to the gate also with no problem. So whats the point you ask? The point is the driver of the bus with expired driver training has entered the movement area. This employee had good intentions of helping the situation but consequently could have hindered it by causing a surface deviation, runway incursion or worse. What if it was another employee working in the FBO and not the one that has prior driving experience? Should the FBO personnel be given driver training? The point is this could have caused more problems then we already had. You have a skeletal ARFF crew trying to get the people to the terminal, tow the aircraft off the taxiway and get the airport up and running. The IC is hard-pressed to effectively, yet efficiently, complete the task at hand. Above all, the FAA, the state and the airport regulations regarding public protection and driver training must take precedence.

This is a very serious issue. An issue that could not be overlooked, and it wasn't. There was no discipline given over the action taken to the situation. It was determined that there would be no further driver training given to the FBO personnel। Sometimes we need to slowdown and think things through. An understanding to the limitations, not only of yourself but the people around you.

Regardless of your driving duties on the airport, safety for you and your co-workers has to be first. Your driver training program should be reviewed and updated annually. Do not compromise safety for efficiency.

I work in a unique situation. I am a Operations Supervisor, Aircraft Rescue Firefighter, and a Ramp Agent. What a combination. Line service has so much to offer a firefighter.Fueling aircraft, I am near the airplanes every day. Understanding the types of fuels that are being used and there properties. Using ground service equipment, all help when it comes to aircraft emergencies. As for the Operations duties, conducting airfield inspections is best method for Airfield Familiarization. Emergency procedures and operation of the fuel farm are essential duties for the safety of the airport and everyone in and around it. In an emergency situation you need to know the airfield you are working on. When I first started my job I didn't have a good understanding of "Cross Training". Seven years later I have a full understanding and appreciation for how all the duties relate to each other. As you are performing one duty, you are being trained for another. Unique Situation!

There are many topics to discuss here at "Airport Operations Safety". Bookmark our site,check back for new post.