Subscriber Spotlight: Ameriflight, LLC

WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight series highlights different subscribers of the WBAT platform. The series aims to recognize our various valuable subscribers and the different ways the WBAT platform is used.

This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Matthew Payne, Director of Safety at Ameriflight, LLC, the largest Part 135 Cargo airline in the nation with 500 employees. Ameriflight uses a fleet of BE-99s, BE-1900s, SA-227s, and EMB-120s to connect smaller communities to the next-day air logistic system for UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Additionally, Ameriflight has recently expanded into on-demand charter and provides transportation options for time-critical medical relief flights for communities struck by natural disasters and animal transportation from overcrowded kill shelters to non-kill shelters.

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How do you use the WBAT platform? Ameriflight utilizes the WBAT platform to allow our pilots and mechanics to file ASAP, Incident, and Fatigue reports. The WBAT platform, including the WBAT Mobile app, creates an easy-to-use tool for our employees to file required and non-required safety-related reports.

Most useful part of the WBAT platform: The most useful part of the WBAT platform is the ability to adjust and alter the title, subtitle, and attributes to fit Ameriflight’s unique position within the aviation world.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: WBAT gave the Safety Department visibility into a systemic issue with flight crews not being able to see the crew ladder from the sitting position in the flight deck of BE-99 aircraft. The lack of visibility created a safety hazard that allowed the possibility of a flight departing with an external crew ladder attached to the aircraft.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: The Safety Department identified the risk and through collaboration and running an SRA with different departments, we were able to identify a fix for the crew ladders. The ladders now have a neon lanyard attached with a “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT” flag to create visibility. Additionally, we altered our BE-99 SOPs to reflect the changes and create written guidance on the placement of the lanyard when the ladder is attached to the aircraft.