Widow Coming to Ottawa to "Fight" for Aviation Safety

[Widow]

Hey, if anybody has time and could check out the NPA's you get when you type "duty" into the "NPA Title" field and tell me if you think that the ammendments, as proposed, would "do the trick" ... if they could get through legal editing?

http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/applicatio ... p?x_lang=e

I'll work on it myself, but if anyone else could tell me what they think, I'd appreciate it ... PMs work

[CD]

Here is a quicker way to view them... Posted in the forums last year:

AvCanada: global report on pilot flight duty times - Links to NPAs

[Iris]

Good on ya Widow!

I concur with keepitsafe. Long duty days with erratic schedules is a recipe for disaster.

If there is some way to have the Canada Labour Code recognize duty times, it would be an important step in the fight against pilot fatigue.

Best of luck.

[Bede]

I wish you all the best Kirsteen, however I believe the real problem is a lack of common sense today. Unfortunately, TC can't do anything about that, and is perhaps the reason for this lack of common sense. For example: I work for an airline. Recently, 1 day of annual aircraft training was removed to make room for annual health and safety training (make sure you wear a safety vest for your walk around), discrimination and harassment training, etc.

[Widow]

Bumping one kind of training and replacing it with another ... somebody trying to save money by not ADDING another training day?

[Widow]

Okay guys, one more week before I'm on my way. I appreciate both the responses on this thread, and those of you who have responded privately and/or provided me with a submission/support letter.

The more visual industry support for "my" initiatives I can provide as proof to the officials, the more likely they are to take me seriously.

Please keep them coming ...

[180]

How about duty hours for AME's? This has always baffled me???

A pilot can work 14 hours a day, then needs 8 hours uninterrupted rest.

Yet the mechanic working on the plane has no restrictions?

Was the problem with your husband's plane mechanical or pilot error?

Good luck in Ottawa K.S.

[Widow]

There's been lots of work done, all to no avail on AME's and fatigue, 180 ... The end result seems to be that TC figures the AMO's SMS should deal effectively with this issue. From an older thread:

Here is some history on the various proposals related to AME fatigue (although I think that the actual proposals from 2004 were withdrawn following consultation at CARAC)...

Background
Assessment of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) Hours of Work: Phase 1 (TP 13875E)
Fatigue in the Aircraft Maintenance Industry: Research Findings and Next Steps ~ Maintenance and Manufacturing Technical Committee (Part V) September 25 & 26, 2002
Position Paper on Fatigue Risk Management within the Aviation Maintenance Industry
Technical Committee Meeting - March 9-10, 2004: Fatigue Risk Management System
Development and implementation of fatigue risk management systems for aviation maintenance and aircraft operators

Some additional studies from the TDC:

TP 13193E, Measurement and monitoring of the effects of work schedule and jet lag on the information processing capacity of individual pilots
TP 13804E, Measurement and monitoring of the effects of work schedule and jet lag on the information processing capacity of individual pilots: Phase 2
TP 14169E, Fatigue risk assessment of aircraft maintenance tasks
TP 14579E, Development of a fatigue risk management system for the Canadian aviation industry

I of course, don't agree that SMS without oversight will solve any problems. TC has not shown any regard for OH&S without lobbying pressure from unions and associations. The Ministry of Labour/HRSDC seems to care not ...

I do hope to open some eyes in Ottawa ...

Thanks for the words of luck.

In answer to you question regarding my husbands accident ... we will never know with any certainty if the accident was a result of a (failed) emergency landing, pilot error or any combination thereof. Don't want to hijack the thread, so PM me if you want more info

[Widow]

Well, I'm off first thing in the morning.

Not sure how much time/access I'll have while I'm away, but I'll certainly let everyone know what happened when I come back.

Don't forget about the CLC/Labour Standards thread!

[Widow]

Briefly, the trip was quite successful ... so successful, I'm going back in two weeks.

If you had a wish list of who you would like to hear speaking about aviation safety and the concerns surrounding SMS, who would you pick?

[xsbank]

You mean, apart from you?

I'm still reading (or trying to) read the inspection-frequency bumpf, otherwise great stuff!

You're going back?

[Widow]

I do, indeed, mean apart from me, xsbank

I'm thinking

- Justice Virgil Moshansky
- Greg Holbrook (CFPA)
- Hugh Danford (ex-TC whistleblower)
- Kirsten Brazier ("whistleblower" who testified before the Standing Committee)

... among others.

The reason I ask is, of course, the result of my trip last week.

Here's a brief:

As well as meeting with, and gleaning the support of, both the Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (who, btw, interviewed me on camera and said interview will soon be available on their website) and Canadians4Accountability (headed by Allan Cutler, - see their response to the Min. Baird letter re SMS here: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=52511), I also met with a number of "officials".

First, I met with Paul Carson - the TCCA guy who talked about a mandatory Professional Pilots Association at the SCOT (Standing Committee on Transport) hearings. He met with me as an individual, and not as a TC rep, but ... it does appear that he got in a wee bit of "trouble" for meeting with me (surprised?).

I also spoke with Greg Holbrook - he was in negotiations all week, so was not available to meet - but he did provide me with valuable information for follow-up.

I also met with Merv Tweed, chair of the SCOT, and Senator Gerry St. Germaine (also a pilot, who had written a letter supporting me in the past - you can read it here: http://www3.telus.net/public/t9232724/h ... mittee.pdf). Both expressed support for most of my concerns and recommendations, but seemed a bit nervous about what I told them regarding my meeting with Peter Julian, former NDP transport critic and this is the big news ...

Julian spoke to Dennis Bevington (current NDP transport critic) and a "round table discussion" in the House of Commons is being arranged, to be followed by a press conference. Tentative dates are the 21/22 of April. The round table will, I believe, be open to the public.

I managed, I think, to keep my PC MP in the loop (he is also supportive), and as such am trying to work with all sides. The round table is likely to include invitees from all parties. The purpose, to discuss aviation safety and SMS, proposing methods of improvement, risk mitigation, etc.

Doors to TC were closed by a directive from the Minister's office - everything had to go through him. They were not returning calls.

In all meetings and discussions, the focus was on the following recommendations, which I believe would help to provide a "fix" for many of the issues that are recurrent themes here on AvCanada:

• Periodic Review of TCCA safety oversight, as outlined by Moshansky
  Mandatory Professional Pilot's Association, as outlined by Carson
  Review of TSB Occurrence Classification Policy, such that when there is a serious injury or death there is a mandatory investigation for cause & contributing factors
  Re-evaluation of the decision by TCCA and TSB to disband the NCAP (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=43362)

As the Coroner's report on "my" accident has, I am told, now been released to the agencies to whom recommendations were made, and will be released to the families after they have had 5 days to review ... it does seem that I will finally have it when I return to Ottawa in two weeks time. This will, I believe, help open the doors to both the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Labour and the Queen's Privy Council (as the overseers of the TSB) upon my return. The publicity surrounding the round table will hopefully add to this possibility.

I should have further details regarding the "round table" by the end of today, and will update then ...

[Cat Driver]

First, I met with Paul Carson - the TCCA guy who talked about a mandatory Professional Pilots Association at the SCOT (Standing Committee on Transport) hearings. He met with me as an individual, and not as a TC rep, but ... it does appear that he got in a wee bit of "trouble" for meeting with me (surprised?).

This is typical of the Muskoxen mentality that prevails within these groups.

The one thing they seem to forget is they work for us and should be accountable to us.

Keep pushing for more media coverage because there is nothing as effective as a bright light shining into a rat hole to get them scurrying.

If possible get Baird into a corner where he thinks he might get his ass kicked out in the next general election.

[Keepitsafe]

Great work widow, thanks from me and my family.