GWBAA Standdown Highlights Collaboration, Data Sharing

NTSB chairman Christopher Hart stressed the importance of collaboration and data sharing to bring business aviation safety to the next level. Hart, a keynote speaker at Thursday's Greater Washington Business Aviation Association (GWBAA) Safety Standdown, noted the success of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) efforts, which helped spur an 83-percent improvement in accident rates over a 10-year period. While designed for commercial aviation, the collaborative efforts and data-sharing can be applied to all aspects of aviation to improve safety, Hart said. 

He cited as an example a major manufacturer that brought together designers, operators, mechanics and air traffic controllers in developing an aircraft, calling this approach “system think.” Hart also noted that this approach should not be punitive, but rather proactive. Managers should accept that people make mistakes, learn from them and develop ways to avoid them rather than punish them, he said.

Hart was among the more than a half-dozen speakers at last week’s GWBAA event, which drew 80 business aviation leaders in the Washingotn, D.C. area. Also speaking was NBAA vice president of safety, security, operations and regulation Doug Carr, who further discussed data-sharing efforts along with other association activities. Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, outlined his concerns about integration of unmanned systems, especially at low altitudes, and the need for outreach to all the aviation sectors to facilitate their safe introduction.