ABSTRACT
Summary: It is good to remember that the worst accident in aviation took place on the ground involving two experienced and reliable airlines. There were 583 fatalities.
Also: a jet aircraft is written off, after a crash, every 9.8 days.
Yet, generally, airlines, aircraft and crew are safe.
Safety will become the airline industry’s biggest headache in the coming decade and a battleground between carriers and airport management. So it should be: this is a matter better dealt with by them than by bureaucrats or politicians. A matter to be dealt with constructively; in openness with information pooled between all.
Perhaps on this basis of openness proper measures can be taken, and aviation will get closer to its goal of zero accidents.
The paper describes a major accident, the analysis carried out and the steps taken to create an environment in which, through sharing of information the various stakeholders are moving towards integration of their management of safety so as to give proper and complete attention to this subject of paramount importance and to actions necessary.
The whole process is subject to audit.
