Bizav 'Has Long Way To Go on Safety,' Says NBAA Chief

“We have to recognize that we have a long way to go on aviation safety,” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said today at the 20th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown in Wichita. In fact, the before-takeoff control check study released by the association last week laid bare that “procedural compliance is an issue” in business aviation.

This problem, he said, was “at the heart” of the Gulfstream GIV fatal accident in Bedford, Massachusetts, in May 2014. To combat these kinds of issues, “We have to understand the data and then find some way to move from reactive to proactive. If there’s a challenge, then we need to find a mitigation strategy. It’s an important and noble pursuit,” Bolen said.

He also highlighted the work of the NBAA Safety Committee, which also seeks to identify and work to address industry safety issues. Loss of control and runway incursions are already on this committee’s radar, and Bolen announced two new issues today that have been added to its list: airport ground collisions and reducing the single-pilot accident rate. These issues will be discussed at NBAA’s national safety forum held during its convention in early November in Orlando, Florida.