This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses from Roger Zimmerman, Director of Safety at KaiserAir, Inc., which has a split Air Carrier Certificate (121 Supplemental/135 On-Demand) based in Oakland, CA, and a Part 145 Repair Station based in Santa Rosa, CA. KaiserAir, Inc. has 120+ employees and a fleet that includes three (3) Boeing 737s and four (4) Executive Jet Aircraft in world-wide operations.

How do you use the WBAT platform? For over two (2) years KaiserAir has utilized the WBAT incident reporting function. These reports include safety and non-safety events for all KaiserAir operations. Once the report is received, we conduct our investigation. We close the incident in WBAT, documenting the high points of what actions were completed.

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT platform? The availability of an electronic incident form, where our employees can report any incident anywhere in the world. Soon we will be implementing our ASAP program, through WBAT, and will expand our electronic reporting opportunities, including ASRS. We are also exploring additional opportunities within WBAT.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: After each charter, the aircraft is cleaned, maintained, and re-provisioned. We received an incident report that an aircraft’s doors remained open one night presenting a security risk.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Through our investigation, we initiated additional post-flight procedures where the flight crew will secure and lock all doors to the aircraft as part of their post-flight activities.

In addition, we’ve emphasized our after-hour line service technician’s responsibility to routinely walk around all KaiserAir aircraft during their shift, and if a door is found to be open/unlocked, they have authority to immediately close and lock. Follow-up surveillance on this procedure has been positive, and we’ve closed this event in WBAT.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses from Derek Sharp, Senior Safety Manager at CommutAir, a Part 121 commercial airline with 1,500 employees doing business as United Express.

How do you use the WBAT platform? Primary means of frontline employee reporting. Data collection and analysis activities to identify areas of risk in the operation.

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT platform? The ability to communicate directly with submitters through WBAT. The ease of gathering information for use in the FAA’s quarterly and annual ASAP Reports.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: Areas of increased risk at new airports in our route structure.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Utilized reported events on a weekly basis to drive critical conversations in small working groups designed to mitigate risk in new areas of operation. Through the collection of targeted reports, were able to assess the risk mitigation strategies in new markets.

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How do you use the WBAT platform? Aitheras Aviation Group utilizes the WBAT platform in multiple aspects, including Risk Management, Safety Assurance, Communications (both critical [Safety Notices] and non-critical), and storage of important company documents so employees can access them from remote locations.

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT platform? For our company, all of WBAT is important as this was one of the core tools that helped us achieve “Active Conformance” in the SMSVP in 2018; however, if we had to choose only one portion of the platform that we could keep, then it would be the Hazard Reporting/Risk Management area of WBAT. Collecting data across all departments and mitigating reported risks is key to our continuous improvement and an integral part of our operation.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: Through a hazard report, it was identified that a certain aircraft in the fleet having a radio knob layout different than the other aircraft led to pilots accidentally turning down the radio volume when changing frequencies.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Upon investigation of the root cause, we determined that mitigation could be achieved through a process of communicating the issue in detail to the entire pilot group and giving them training on a proper procedure for this particular radio that would prevent future volume decreases, then documenting pilots had received training.

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How do you use the WBAT platform? WBAT has many functions that are useful for performing the SMS functions for our carrier. Most importantly, it has been a tool for training those in management on how to perform risk assessments on our processes as they are being developed and documented in the company manual set.

What do you consider the useful part of the WBAT platform? The most helpful part of WBAT has been the Safety Assurance module, where we have been able to set up and track over 90 different audits for the operational functions of the airline. Tracking findings and corrective actions is easy to do by assigning them to the responsible individuals. Safety Risk Management is also useful and is able to be performed regularly from Safety Reports that are submitted, audit findings that are issued, as well as the Safety Risk Management module in the system.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: Our dispatchers submitted a report that the satellite communications product that we use for tracking real-time data on aircraft in flight was not communicating updates in less than 5 minutes. This is a safety and operational control issue that was identified to be mitigated.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Working with the existing product developers to get live data to update more regularly was one action item. But we also decided to obtain back-up tracking systems that would give real-time data, such as a FlightRadar24 subscription to supplement the primary tracking system and provide more real-time data of aircraft in flight or on the ground.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Carlos Veliz, Director of Safety at Verijet, a Part 135 Private Charter operating the SF50 Vision Jet. VeriJet is based in Opa-Locka, FL, and has 64 employees.

How do you use the WBAT platform? The WBAT platform is used throughout our organization as the main SMS database for collection of reports, tracking, data analysis, safety risk management, and safety assurance functions. WBAT has many tools, and we are using the most essential ones to collect information and disseminate that information to our leadership. We are using both the web- and app-based versions for reporting.

Most useful part of the WBAT platform: Obviously safety reporting is our most used part of the WBAT platform; however, the queries that can be developed to extract information from these reports are also very helpful. Queries give us a powerful macro and micro look at the underlying data and allow us to drill down to key issues.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: One of the more common reports that we receive is excess baggage. The SF50 is considered a Very Light Jet (VLJ) so excess baggage can be a problem. We have identified several hazards associated with excess baggage, including the possibility of injury due to improper lifting.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Since receiving reports on excess baggage, we have begun a customer awareness campaign to ensure all brokers are aware of the aircraft’s limitations. We ensure passengers are made aware of loading limits during the booking process. In addition, we have issued awareness training to all crews on proper back injury prevention and lifting techniques. This information is now routinely communicated through our SMS promotion efforts and made a part of employee indoctrination training.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Jon Gourdoux, Director of Safety at Sterling Airways, a Part 121 airline with 70 employees that is currently flying charters and beginning scheduled service. Sterling Airways is based in Jacksonville, FL and commenced operations in the spring of 2020.

How do you use the WBAT Platform? We use WBAT to ensure we meet all four pillars of SMS. WBAT is our tool for auditing, SRM, safety reporting, and some of our employee communications.

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT Platform? The ability to submit ASAP reports and have the Safety department build an ERC agenda and run the meetings all in the same application is a huge benefit for us. WBAT makes it easy to keep our data organized across multiple work groups.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: A pilot submitted an ASAP report after ATC used the wrong callsign. The ERC investigated and found that since we were new, a lot of ATC facilities weren’t familiar with us.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: As a corrective action, the ERC recommended Dispatch to add our callsign (Stingray) to the remarks section of the flight plan.

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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.

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.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Robert Cavetti, Director of Safety & Training at Sheltair, Inc., the nation’s largest privately-owned aviation network, proudly operating 19 award-winning FBOs and managing over 4.5 million square feet of aviation-related properties.

How do you use the WBAT platform? Sheltair utilizes the WBAT platform as a catalyst to the implementation of our Safety Management System (SMS). The information specified in employee reports is used to identify the root causes and determine appropriate remedial actions which are then monitored for effectiveness. The collected information is reviewed and analyzed to facilitate early detection and improved awareness of operational deficiencies and adverse trends. The WBAT platform supports the four pillars that are crucial to our safety program and culture: Reporting, Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion! The WBAT platform is the backbone of our Safety Management System!

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT platform? The WBAT platform is very user friendly to our internal customers (Employees). It creates an ease in which the safety department is able to track hazards/trends, analyze the reports submitted, and stay ahead of those hazardous trends before they become a serious accident.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: We discovered a misfuelling safety trend within our network. We were able to recognize it from the analyzed reports.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: We created a misfuelling prevention campaign and also implemented a computer based system for identifying aircraft tail numbers prior to fueling, thus reducing misfuelling by almost 98%.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Chris Fischetti, Director of Safety at AirCARE1 International, a long-range air ambulance and commercial medical escort provider with 75-100 employees. Founded in 2004 by a critical care nurse, AirCARE1 transports neonate, pediatric, and adult (including bariatric) patients to domestic and international locations with a fleet of company-owned aircraft comprising two Lear 35s, one Lear 36, and two Lear 60s. AirCARE1’s medical escort division provides patient repatriations worldwide.

How do you use the WBAT platform? We use the WBAT platform to fulfill multiple needs in our Safety Management System. This includes our ASAP program, Hazard reporting, FRATs prior to each trip, organizational risk assessments, as well as our Internal Evaluation Program.

Most useful part of the WBAT platform: The ability to collect and monitor all of the data that is collected relating to the safety performance of our organization. Particularly the data collected from our FRATs which we utilize in Dispatching, Medical, and Flight Operations. 

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: We determined through data monitoring that the way our Flight Operations FRAT was written was causing confusion in how the risk of flights were being weighed from one flight crew to another. 

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Using this information, we were able to refine our FRAT worksheet to get more objective input and therefore, to more precisely measure the risk of each flight. Additionally, this prompted us to revise our Dispatch FRAT to further refine the process of assessing risk prior to dispatching each flight.

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This edition of WBAT Safety’s Subscriber Spotlight features responses by Udayaprakash Rangasamy, Aviation Safety Director at Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology, an educational institution for flight training with 140 employees.

How do you use the WBAT platform? Filing ASAP and LOSA reports, recordkeeping of all safety reports, and meetings.

What do you consider the most useful part of the WBAT platform? Simple yet very structured and easy-to-use platform for filing and auditing safety reports.

Please identify a recent safety issue or problem you identified in your data: Repeated deviations from Solo time building students during Block 1 time building.

Please explain how you mitigated the issue or problem: Modified Time Builders agreement to prevent students from flying solo in Block 1 and to let them fly with a safety pilot for the entire Block 1.

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