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Reporting with RAAus
REPORTING WITH RAAUS DO YOU KNOW YOUR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS?
Four years have passed since RAAus implemented our Occurrence Management System (OMS) and it is important that we continue to discuss the importance of reporting, and how this can improve aviation safety for all members. Over the past four years of operation, the OMS has allowed RAAus to identify a number of critical safety outcomes and build important data to assist in shaping our safety messaging, all of which could not have been achieved without our membership actively reporting. We must however, continue to improve our reporting culture. Regardless of how big or small occurrences may seem, it is important that these are reported – If you are unsure whether something should be reported then our Safety team will be more than happy to offer further advice by contacting them via phone or emailing safety@raaus.com.au What can I report within the OMS? Did you know that the RAAus OMS allows you to report more than incidents and accidents? It also allows you to report hazards, defects, or to lodge a confidential complaint. This information is extremely important as it allows RAAus to act on behalf of our members and notify relevant parties in the event that we identify something that has the potential to negatively impact the safety of others. Do I have to submit a report to RAAus? Pilots, aircraft owners, flight instructors, witnesses and maintainers have a legal obligation to report occurrences under the Transport Safety Investigation Act. The RAAus OMS makes it easy for members to fulfil their reporting obligations, as reports submitted to RAAus also complete their reporting requirements under the Act. Occurrence types can be broken down into two categories, an Immediately reportable matter (IRM) or a routinely reportable matter (RRM): Immediately reportable matter (IRM) IRMs are accidents or serious incidents that affect the safety of aircraft. These may include occurrences that result in injury or damage to an aircraft or other property. IRMs may include: –Runway overshoot or undershoot –Loss of control event –Landing gear failure
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IRMs must be reported to RAAus by telephone as soon as practical, and a written report must be submitted within 72 hours. Routinely reportable matter (RRM) RRMs are occurrences that have, or could have, affected safety. RRMs may include: –Runway incursion, excursion or ground loop, resulting in no damage –A flat tyre –Taxiing collision –Bird strike –Go-around due to another aircraft –Near miss
RRMs often do not result in any damage, and a written report must be submitted within 72 hours. I am an L1, L2 or L4 Maintainer, what are my maintenance reporting requirements? Aircraft maintainers, including owner maintainers and higher maintenance approval holders, have an obligation to report all known defects. The RAAus Technical Manual outlines maintenance reporting requirements and defines a defect as any fault in the design, function or qualitative characteristic of an item fitted to an aircraft which differs from the specification, the drawing, or recognised standard of good workmanship for that item other than that classified as fair wear and tear within manufacturer’s limits. Maintainers also have the requirement to report where a maintenance schedule or flight manual is considered to be deficient. An example of this may include identifying that a wheel rim on an aircraft is cracked. Though this may be the first time you have witnessed this issue, you should still submit a defect report. Nationally there may be a problem that we are
ACCIDENTS
Immediately Reportable Matter
IRM
Routine Reportable Matter
RRM
Call ATSB within 24 hrs 1800 011 034
Call RAAus within 24 hrs 02 6280 4700
You have 72 hours to submit a written report to the RAAus OMS/ATSB
You have 72 hours to submit a written report to the RAAus OMS/ATSB
able to identify through multiple receipts of similar reports, however if this issue is simply fixed without reporting to RAAus then we are unable to communicate the issue to other members. Instead, we may only become aware of it when on another aircraft the part fails on landing, resulting in an accident and potential injury. RAAus communicates known defects to aircraft manufacturers, and where required may issue an airworthiness notice to aircraft owners / operators and other interested persons, advising them of a known defect or deficiency and rectification action. What does RAAus do when we receive a submission within our OMS? Every submission received by RAAus is manually processed by our team who complete a risk assessment and review the reported information. Following the initial assessment, the occurrence is then delegated to the appropriate department for review and follow-up. If the occurrence is identified as being high risk or has the potential to seriously impact the safety of other members, the occurrence is reviewed by our management team for any immediate action needed to ensure
member safety. If the occurrence does not have serious safety implications and is specific to the member(s) involved, then this will be reviewed to ensure the member or aircraft is able to continue operating safely. What action does RAAus take on pilots who submit a report? RAAus maintains a just and fair reporting culture, sometimes referred to as a just culture - But what does this mean for our membership? Essentially, it means that we do not use reporting as a tool to punish members, but as a tool to educate and improve safety for everyone. Without members feeling comfortable to report we would be unable to collect important data and maintain a positive safety culture within RAAus. As humans, RAAus accepts that everyone makes mistakes – This means that members should not be disciplined for making a genuine mistake, rather we ensure that member safety is not compromised.
The main priority when reviewing an occurrence report is to understand the reasons or contributing factors for why an event occurred and where possible attempt to prevent this from happening again. This may be as simple as identifying that an occurrence occurred due to factors outside of the control of the pilot, or understanding that the pilot has subsequently put measures in place to prevent this from reoccurring. However, if there are concerns raised relating to the ongoing safety of a pilot or a member has a history of unsafe operation or RAAus has received a number of similar reports then additional requirements such as development or improvement of training processes or remedial training for a pilot with a local instructor may be required. This is not a regular occurrence with a majority of occurrences requiring little or no additional effort. RAAus must take action in relation to members who have been identified as actively and wilfully breaking the rules. Deliberate violations of RAAus or CASA rules may result in some form of restriction being placed on a member privileges or in more serious cases the suspension or removal of privileges. These outcomes are achieved by following the process outlined within the RAAus Occurrence Complaint and Disciplinary manual available in the Members Portal at https://members.raa.asn.au/governance/ corporate-documents/policy/. Ultimately, safety reporting allows RAAus to generate valuable data for prioritisation of safety promotion and communication. One minor occurrence may not have large safety implications, but awareness of many small occurrences may allow RAAus to generate safety information to improve the safety for everyone.
Think you know the answers? Go online to the safety section of the RAAus members portal, click on Reporting of Occurrences and take our short quiz to test your reporting knowledge!
FARMING OPERATIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS
FARM WORK | MUSTERING | SPOTTING | LOW FLYING
