CFPA Safety Deficiency Matrix
The CFPA Safety Committee attempts to identify hazards (equipment, practices) and deficiencies specific to CDF aerial wildfire suppression operations, then brings them to the attention of CDF, the contractor, and CFPA aircrews. The following items need attention (*** = priority items); CFPA members are encouraged to become involved in these projects, and to identify additional safety-related items:
***Monitor implementation of (and training for) TCAD and enhanced NDI of aircraft.
***Continue to minimize "Mission Mentality". Wildfire suppression is our profession, not an emergency. It is too important to get excited about.
***Improve direct communication between CDF and aircrews on items of an operational or safety-related nature via expanded, interactive use of the Internet, aircrew cell phones as opposed to pagers (if coverage is adequate), enhanced FC-119 incident/hazard reporting with feedback (similar to NASA ACRS and FAA ASAP programs), line pilot and mechanic participation in CDF/contractor operational and safety review and planning functions, daily morning base briefings, and scheduled periodic visits to airbases by AMU staff.
***Paid training and support for active line pilot and mechanic participation in all Air Attack/Airtanker incident/accident investigations.
***Consider outsourced training for increased objectivity and specialized expertise (IFR simulators, upset recovery/advanced maneuvering AAMP), and to ease pressure on airtanker pre-season maintenance scheduling. Institute pre-season Team Training with ATGS, Leadplanes/ACMs, and airtankers, including scored drops (batting practice) by airtankers.
Establish CFPA Professional Standards Committees to deal with unsafe or questionable crew performance internally, pro-actively, expeditiously, informally.
Evaluate effects on proficiency from not flying for 6-8 months each year, year after year, especially for pilots on low-time contracts. Identify and support opportunities for off-season proficiency flying and continuing education related to aerial fire suppression such as OAS on-line courses (<http://aviationfirefighting.com/>) and NAFA.
Establish appropriate objective medical standards for aircrews of all ages to ensure safe operations and to preclude arbitrary age discrimination.
Push for comprehensive study of cumulative effects of airtankers landing loaded and sitting loaded, and for aerodynamic/structural analysis of retardant-drops and other typical operational stresses on airtankers.
Push for cockpit voice recorders, flight data recorders, and/or flight reconstruction systems with data download capability to assist in training and operational flight debriefs, accident investigations, trend analysis, ASIP (Aircraft Stress Inspection Program), and FOQA (Flight Operation Quality Assurance) programs.
Identify and promulgate procedures for high-density airports and congested areas that mitigate environmental effects and potential hazards on the ground in the event of a jettison.
Define the legal rights, obligations, and liabilities of tactical pilots acting for government agencies, and provide liability insurance, and/or a waiver, for aircrews. The potential effects of a lawsuit or certificate action on a flight crewmember's finances and career can make this perceived liability a significant stressor.
Continually assess operational fatigue factors, mental and physical, including dehydration (cold bottled drinking water readily available at all bases at all times, not just on "busts"), aircraft environmental systems, base rest facilities, and requirements for pilots to wash airtankers (assign loaders/firefighters to help?).
Monitor meal provisions for guest crews at AABs; they should be nutritious, timely, and appropriate (cold, greasy, breaded chicken or Mexican-special box lunches, or make-it-yourself plastic sandwiches at Sis-Q County, do not fill the bill).
Monitor the FAA Capstone project, multistatic dependent surveillance for in-flight tracking and diverts, TARMS, HUD, and similar technologies that offer enhanced safety, effectiveness, and/or efficiency in airtanker operations. Promote their acquisition and utilization where appropriate.
Evaluate risks and loss of effectiveness inherent in using tankers close to sunset. What is the risk/reward tradeoff?
If aircrews are allowed to operate night/IFR, require aircraft to be adequately equipped and fully functional for night/IFR flight, with appropriate current charts and publications, and insure crews have received realistic recurrent training in type, are legally current and actually proficient for night/IFR flight in type.
Evaluate cockpit workload (task saturation, SRM) in our single-pilot aircraft (without autopilots).
Continually review S2T/OV10 Flight Manuals and SOPs to assure adherence to basic human factor principles (flow, minimal memory items, etc). There are items of technique, procedure, and system operation that have been learned in recent years that indicate changes to the current CDF and NATOPS manuals.
Continue to provide paid sick leave for aircrews. Otherwise, there will be incentives to "press".
Evaluate heat stress/dehydration effects of full-length/Nomex flight suits.
Evaluate real-world safety advantages of "boat shoes" with non-skid soles compared to restrictive ankle-boots with street or hiking soles. There have been several airtanker crew injuries caused by slipping on wet surfaces.
Provide a basic smoke hood for cockpit crews (being evaluated).
Provide supplemental oxygen breathing systems appropriate for airtanker operations (being evaluated).
Evaluate fuel tank inerting systems appropriate for airtanker operations.
Equip all bases with Micro Motion monitors and load tankers by weight, not gallons (with volumetric overflow backup), and provide Density Altitude information for each takeoff to identify performance degradation.
Walt Darran, CFPA Safety Committee15 October 06
***Monitor implementation of (and training for) TCAD and enhanced NDI of aircraft.
***Continue to minimize "Mission Mentality". Wildfire suppression is our profession, not an emergency. It is too important to get excited about.
***Improve direct communication between CDF and aircrews on items of an operational or safety-related nature via expanded, interactive use of the Internet, aircrew cell phones as opposed to pagers (if coverage is adequate), enhanced FC-119 incident/hazard reporting with feedback (similar to NASA ACRS and FAA ASAP programs), line pilot and mechanic participation in CDF/contractor operational and safety review and planning functions, daily morning base briefings, and scheduled periodic visits to airbases by AMU staff.
***Paid training and support for active line pilot and mechanic participation in all Air Attack/Airtanker incident/accident investigations.
***Consider outsourced training for increased objectivity and specialized expertise (IFR simulators, upset recovery/advanced maneuvering AAMP), and to ease pressure on airtanker pre-season maintenance scheduling. Institute pre-season Team Training with ATGS, Leadplanes/ACMs, and airtankers, including scored drops (batting practice) by airtankers.
Establish CFPA Professional Standards Committees to deal with unsafe or questionable crew performance internally, pro-actively, expeditiously, informally.
Evaluate effects on proficiency from not flying for 6-8 months each year, year after year, especially for pilots on low-time contracts. Identify and support opportunities for off-season proficiency flying and continuing education related to aerial fire suppression such as OAS on-line courses (<http://aviationfirefighting.com/>) and NAFA.
Establish appropriate objective medical standards for aircrews of all ages to ensure safe operations and to preclude arbitrary age discrimination.
Push for comprehensive study of cumulative effects of airtankers landing loaded and sitting loaded, and for aerodynamic/structural analysis of retardant-drops and other typical operational stresses on airtankers.
Push for cockpit voice recorders, flight data recorders, and/or flight reconstruction systems with data download capability to assist in training and operational flight debriefs, accident investigations, trend analysis, ASIP (Aircraft Stress Inspection Program), and FOQA (Flight Operation Quality Assurance) programs.
Identify and promulgate procedures for high-density airports and congested areas that mitigate environmental effects and potential hazards on the ground in the event of a jettison.
Define the legal rights, obligations, and liabilities of tactical pilots acting for government agencies, and provide liability insurance, and/or a waiver, for aircrews. The potential effects of a lawsuit or certificate action on a flight crewmember's finances and career can make this perceived liability a significant stressor.
Continually assess operational fatigue factors, mental and physical, including dehydration (cold bottled drinking water readily available at all bases at all times, not just on "busts"), aircraft environmental systems, base rest facilities, and requirements for pilots to wash airtankers (assign loaders/firefighters to help?).
Monitor meal provisions for guest crews at AABs; they should be nutritious, timely, and appropriate (cold, greasy, breaded chicken or Mexican-special box lunches, or make-it-yourself plastic sandwiches at Sis-Q County, do not fill the bill).
Monitor the FAA Capstone project, multistatic dependent surveillance for in-flight tracking and diverts, TARMS, HUD, and similar technologies that offer enhanced safety, effectiveness, and/or efficiency in airtanker operations. Promote their acquisition and utilization where appropriate.
Evaluate risks and loss of effectiveness inherent in using tankers close to sunset. What is the risk/reward tradeoff?
If aircrews are allowed to operate night/IFR, require aircraft to be adequately equipped and fully functional for night/IFR flight, with appropriate current charts and publications, and insure crews have received realistic recurrent training in type, are legally current and actually proficient for night/IFR flight in type.
Evaluate cockpit workload (task saturation, SRM) in our single-pilot aircraft (without autopilots).
Continually review S2T/OV10 Flight Manuals and SOPs to assure adherence to basic human factor principles (flow, minimal memory items, etc). There are items of technique, procedure, and system operation that have been learned in recent years that indicate changes to the current CDF and NATOPS manuals.
Continue to provide paid sick leave for aircrews. Otherwise, there will be incentives to "press".
Evaluate heat stress/dehydration effects of full-length/Nomex flight suits.
Evaluate real-world safety advantages of "boat shoes" with non-skid soles compared to restrictive ankle-boots with street or hiking soles. There have been several airtanker crew injuries caused by slipping on wet surfaces.
Provide a basic smoke hood for cockpit crews (being evaluated).
Provide supplemental oxygen breathing systems appropriate for airtanker operations (being evaluated).
Evaluate fuel tank inerting systems appropriate for airtanker operations.
Equip all bases with Micro Motion monitors and load tankers by weight, not gallons (with volumetric overflow backup), and provide Density Altitude information for each takeoff to identify performance degradation.
Walt Darran, CFPA Safety Committee15 October 06