Story ID: 
JetSuite Joins Aviation Safety Action Program
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Participation in ASAP allows pilots, mechanics and dispatchers to report safety issues without fear of repercussion.
Word Count: 500
JetSuite is the latest charter operator to sign up for the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), which is administered by the Air Charter Safety Foundation. JetSuite operates a fleet of Citation CJ3s and Phenom 100s and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. According to JetSuite, it is one of fewer than 2 percent of Part 135 charter operators that has implemented an ASAP, which went live on June 15.

While JetSuite has implemented a safety management system (SMS), that is still not a regulatory requirement for charter operators. But the ASAP helps with that process because the voluntary reporting that is part of SMS is also central to the ASAP, according to Robert Hamel, JetSuite’s safety manager. Under the ASAP, reporters (pilots, mechanics, dispatchers and other personnel) have a mechanism for reporting any hazard or safety-related issue, without fear of punitive action by the FAA. Reports are submitted online and reviewed by JetSuite’s event review committee (ERC). Reporters can also elect to fill out a NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System form automatically for that event. If for some reason a reporter can’t get online right away, there is a process for calling a telephone number and leaving a message. The reporter then has three days to fill out the online form. “We want to make sure they have every avenue available to report [an issue],” Hamel said, “in case they’re at an FBO and the Web is down.”

As part of the implementation of the ASAP, JetSuite issued a learning notice to its employees. They in turn must acknowledge that they have read the notice, Hamel explained, and this also gives them an opportunity to add any comments or concerns. “The initial feedback has been wonderful,” he said. “It’s been positive every time we talk to the pilots and mechanics.”

Reporting issues in its own ASAP doesn’t just help JetSuite but also other participants, because the ACSF shares de-identified information with ASAP-using members. This could help JetSuite see specific issues related to the types of aircraft it operates or more generic flight or maintenance issues that arise among fellow charter operators. 

Hamel recommends that more charter operators join the ASAP. “There’s lots of room for growth,” he said. “If they’re considering it and think they don’t have the resources, the first call should be to the ACSF; they can alleviate a lot of concern.” The ACSF, he pointed out, “does a lot of the heavy lifting,” including working with an operator’s FAA regional office to set up the memorandum of understanding that governs the program and provides protection for reporters. “The process is relatively easy,” he added. “There’s really not much of a downside to it. It creates another avenue for pilots, mechanics and dispatchers to report safety concerns, and it will improve safety in our operation and others. And it eliminates the possibility of severe repercussions from the FAA.”