The FAA plans to have in place the initial capabilities of a risk-based approach for its safety management system – SMS, by the end of fiscal 2010, but its plan for managing data under the system does not fully address data, analysis, or staffing requirements, GAO has said.
It said without such requirements, the plan will not provide timely guidance for implementing SMS.
FAA has access to some voluntarily reported data, which are important for SMS, but not all carriers and aviation personnel participate in FAA’s voluntary reporting programs, according to GAO-10-414.
It said industry personnel have some incentives to participate in voluntary programs, such as promised immunity from disciplinary action, but concerns about sanctions and the cost of equipment have deterred full participation, especially by smaller carriers.
FAA also lacks data to assess the safety performance of certain industry sectors, such as air cargo and air ambulance operators, the report said.
It said that in order to help ensure data quality FAA has implemented a number of data quality controls that are consistent with GAO’s standards for data quality, but some weaknesses exit.
For example, while all the databases GAO reviewed had at least some controls in place to ensure that erroneous data are identified, reported, and corrected, about half lack a key control – that is, managers do not review the data prior to entry into the data system, said the report.
It said the FAA is taking steps to address its data weaknesses, but vulnerabilities remain, potentially limiting the usefulness of FAA’s data for the safety analyses planned to support SMS.
