Flight Safety Foundation Flight Safety Digest 1988

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December 1988

Aviation Security in an Age of Terrorism 28 pages. [PDF 84K]

The author emphasizes that there are no quick or cheap security solutions to the terrorism threat, and urges the whole airport/airline community to consider security as important an element of their corporate standing as their flight safety record, reputation for service and aspirations to excel.

November 1988

Ice Model Airline Safety Program 16 pages. [PDF 62K]

The author introduces a picture of what he considers an ideal airline flight safety program should be, including a definition of flight safety, the 21 safety functions which were recommended by the Technical Committee of IATA, several organizational considerations, and three safety inhibitors. The conclusion stresses the need for safety professionals to work together to determine a consensus of the future course of safety departments and programs.

October 1988

Decisions, Motivation, Mind Set 16 pages. [PDF 59K]

Accident investigations highlight the necessity of stressing human factors in pilot training. It is no longer adequate to cite “pilot error” as the cause of an accident, rather more emphasis is now being placed on the pilot’s judgment, motivation and cockpit management in regards to their effect on an accident.

September 1988

Manuals, Management and Coordination 13 pages. [PDF 50K]

Causal factors attributed to the failure to follow procedures in operations manuals, plus shortcomings in crew coordination and assertiveness, repeats like a broken record in accident reports, says the author.

August 1988

Who Is Flying The Aircraft? 16 pages. [PDF 54K]

Captains decided to put first officers at the controls during severe weather in several air carrier accidents. The author takes a thought-provoking look at that practice.

July 1988

A Holistic Approach To Aviation Safety 12 pages. [PDF 45K]

The flight operations manager or chief pilot must be conscious of the consequences of an accident. Further, says the author, it must be instilled in each employee that errors will not be tolerated.

June 1988

Reflections on Air Carrier Safety 18 pages. [PDF 61K]

An air safety investigator gets a call from an apprehensive citizen wanting to know what the safest carrier is for a particular trip. Calls like this seem to be based on the assumptions that the risk of air travel vary with the caliber of the carrier, and the government agency that investigates the industry’s mishaps is in the best position to provide the desired information. What are the chances that the caller will get a candid response to his inquiry?

May 1988

Emergency and Pre-Accident Plans 15 pages. [PDF 47K]

Every flight operation should have comprehensive emergency and pre-accident plans to eliminate chaos, delineate responsibility and provide set procedures should an emergency or accident occur.

April 1988

Civil Aviation Remains Vulnerable to Terrorism 16 pages. [PDF 63K]

The Western world once applauded the political hijacks that preceded present-day terrorism. Today, ruthless violence is meted out by various terrorist groups often rooted in the Middle East. With no single banner to wave, they strike out at various targets to cause fear, destruction and death. Unfortunately, civil aviation continues to be a frequent target.

March 1988

The United States National Airspace System Plan: The Airborne Selective Transponder (Mode S) — Part Two

Statements by U.S. government spokespersons, usually the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), make reference to the “modernization” of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS), particularly to the ability to handle the dramatic increases in air traffic which were not foreseen. The efforts on this multibillion dollar program, which began in 1981, are underway but not destined to be totally apparent until 1995–2000. 13 pages. This issue is no longer available.

February 1988

The United States National Airspace System Plan — Part One

Statements by U.S. Government spokespersons, usually the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), make reference to the “modernization” of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS), particularly to the ability to handle the dramatic increases in air traffic which were not foreseen. The efforts on this multibillion dollar program, which began in 1981, are underway but not destined to be totally apparent until 1995–2000. 11 pages. This issue is no longer available.

January 1988

Airline Deregulation: Economic Boom or Safety Bust?

Safety and economic efficiency, however, are not always mutually compatible goals that can be simultaneously pursued. We are finding today, as the House of Representatives did 7 years ago, that, “while there are obvious incentives for both manufacturer and airline to avoid accidents, there are apparently fewer incentives to perform all safety requirements under all circumstances.” Stated more bluntly a few years earlier, “safety in flight … are two goals toward which the airlines must constantly strive. Safety and economy are unfortunately very often opposed … ” 16 pages. This issue is no longer available.