Airport Safety

¶ … Airport Safety Self-Inspection, which is an important element of an airport's certification performance requirements. The evaluation is based on a discussion of self-inspection programs and practices in order to promote the overall safety of airports. The discussion also entails evaluation of FAR Part 139 and FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-18C depending on self-inspection program and requirements. The major elements included in the evaluation are responsibilities, basic inspection techniques, different types of inspections, and inspection record requirements.

Airport Safety Self-Inspection -- FAR Part 139 and FAA Advisory Circular One of the most important aspects of an airport's certification performance requirements is the Airport Safety Self-Inspection. Given the significance of this requirement, the Airport Safety Self-Inspection is included in FAR Part 139 and FAA Advisory Circular. The self-inspection requirements are established in order for an airport to ensure compliance with regulations on an everyday basis. These requirements are regarded as the foundation of the overall safety program of airport operators.

Some of the most important elements in a detailed self-inspection program include inspecting, training, identification of inconsistencies and documenting findings, follow-up, resolution, and quality control. Despite the inclusion of Airport Safety Self-Inspection in FAR Part 139 and FAA Advisory Circular, there are differences with regards to responsibilities, inspection requirements and techniques, and variances in types of inspections. Review of the two Documents FAR Part 139 is one of the documents detailing airport safety self-inspection and permits an airport to promote regulatory compliance across all its operations on an everyday basis.

The self-inspection requirements in this document are supervised by the Federal Aviation Administration as the foundation of the overall safety program of airport operators (Prather, 2011). The primary focus of a self-inspection is on operational components like safety areas, markings, pavement areas, aircraft rescue and firefighting, navigational guides, construction, lighting, fueling operations, ground vehicle and public protection. Similarly, the FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-18C provides important information on airport-self inspection programs to airport operators.

However, the circular primarily focuses on the creation and establishment of a self-inspection program based on requirements by the Federal Aviation Administration and compliance with regulations that are stipulated in FAR Part 139. As previously mentioned, these documents seek to ensure the overall safety of airport's inspection programs through stipulating some responsibilities, basic inspection methods, inspection record requirements, and the various types of inspections. Responsibilities Airport's self-inspection program and requirements are characterized by several responsibilities in order to ensure regulatory compliance.

According to these documents, self-inspection programs and practices are the basic responsibility of the airport owner, operator, and a properly authorized representative ("Airport Safety Self-Inspection," 2004). Generally, the responsibility of ensuring overall airport ground safety is easily given to the airport manager or operations supervisor. In some cases, certain inspection segments are given to particular air carriers and fixed-based operations. Nonetheless, FAR Part 139 states that the Federal Aviation Administration may hold the certificate holder eventually responsible for ensuring safe operations of the airport.

Basic Inspection Techniques There are various basic inspection techniques depending on the type of inspection being conducted. These inspection techniques include the use of appropriate radio communication procedures, equipments, and terminology. Secondly, self-inspection practices may involve using the police to carry out all inspections though these officers are required to use aviation terminology. Third, airport inspectors can use checklists, which cover different areas of checklists and are developed in a manner that is useful for airport owners, operations and authorized representatives.

When using checklists, airport inspectors need to review previously completed inspection checklist before commencing their inspection. Types of Inspection Airport owners, operators and authorized representatives can utilize different types on inspections including regular scheduled inspection, constant surveillance inspection, periodic condition inspection, and special inspection of safety programs and practices. Regular scheduled inspection is carried out on a daily basis when there is less activity at the airport while continuous surveillance inspection is performed when personnel are in their air operations area.

Even though periodic condition inspection is not performed daily, it is carried out on a routinely scheduled basis or different time intervals. In contrast special inspection is performed once an unusual condition or incident occurs and when a complaint is received. Inspection Record Requirements According to these two documents, inspection record requirements include maintenance of inspection records showing identified conditions and implemented corrective action, preparing records of training that are submitted to self-inspection personnel, and ensuring the availability of these records.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires that records show the specific conditions of the airport, potential dangers, and adopted corrective measures within the past 12 months (Rogers, 2012). What Is Covered in Each Document While FAR Part 139 and FAA Advisory Curricular focus on overall safety of airports across all operations and facilities, they differ with regards to the specific details contained in each document.

As part of advisories developed to guide airports in compliance with varying federal regulations, FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-18C covers issues associated with the development of a self-inspection program based on requirements in FAR Part 139. The curricular also identifies areas.