AIR FORCE FINISHES SAFEST FLYING YEAR EVER

  • Published
  • By Terry Walker
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --  Fiscal 2009 finished as the safest flying year in the 62-year history of the Air Force.

The service suffered 17 Class A mishaps, one where there is loss of life, an injury resulting in permanent total disability, the destruction of an Air Force aircraft, or property damage or loss exceeding $1 million (that dollar amount changed to $2 million beginning in fiscal 2010). The next best year was fiscal 2006 with 19 Class A mishaps.

The most Class A mishaps ever occurred in 1952, when 2,274 were reported, according to Air Force Safety Center records.

The safety center reported that six Air Force members died in the 2009 mishaps, down from 13 in 2008. Air Education and Training Command suffered no pilot losses to aviation mishaps last year, command flight safety officials said.

Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Frederick Roggero told the Air Force Times that for air and ground crews, the service emphasizes a "culture of compliance and discipline" because the cause of most accidents is the same:

"Somewhere down the line, someone busted a rule," he said.

The fewer aircrew mistakes last year could be attributed, in part, to risk management initiatives such as consideration of a mission's hazards before launching and better communication and awareness by crews as they fly, the general told the Times.

Commanders, aircrews, maintainers, supervisors, and command and wing safety teams "are really doing their jobs," said William C. Redmond, Air Force Safety Center executive director. "It's back to basics, and compliance is king from what we are seeing."
Col. Sidney Mayeux, Air Force chief of flying safety, echoed those sentiments.

"Aviators are following the rules ... and are making smarter risk decisions," the colonel said.

Mayeux said he's proud of the Air Force's performance this year in aviation safety.

"We're seeing great dividends across the Air Force," he added. "We're holding each other accountable. ... I think it is working."