Russia is taking steps to improve air-safety and save its international reputation.
Paul Duffy/MOSCOW
THE INTERNATIONAL furore, which followed the loss of an Aeroflot Russian International Airlines Airbus A310, en route from Moscow to Hong Kong, in March 1994, proved to be the catalyst, which prompted Russia's Department of Air Transport (DAT), to undertake a major review of the safety standard of airlines, in the world's largest nation.
The review had already been planned, but the Airbus accident added urgency, which was increased by the potentially severe damage to Russia's international air-safety reputation.
With plenty of well-qualified technical expertise available, transport minister Vitali Yefimov and his first deputy, DAT director Vadim Zamotin, took the unheard step of inviting the US Federal Aviation Administration to join the commission.
The commission was established with 33 members drawn from the DAT, the GosNII GA (the research institute of civil aviation working under DAT authority), Rosaeronavigatsia (the air-traffic-control authority), MAK (the interstate aviation committee), the GosNII AN (the research institute for aero-navigation systems working under Rosaeronavigatsia authority) and with representatives from the transport ministry, the committee of defence industries, and the general staff of the Russian Federation of armed forces. A further 23 US members came mostly from the FAA, with one from the US National Transportation Safety Board and two analysts from US consultancy Fu Associates.
The first job of the commission was to establish the goals and the schedule of the review. Once these were agreed, in August 1994, the US participants traveled to Russia for a detailed briefing by the DAT and Rosaeronavigatsia. The commission then broke into five groups:
aviation law;
flight standards;
continued airworthiness;
air traffic;
accident investigation.
The groups began their task by visiting ten Russian cities to examine and analyse the work being done by regional offices of the DAT, training centres, the operational and technical departments of airlines, maintenance and overhaul bases, air-traffic-control centres and other appropriate organisations.
It was quickly realised that widespread and persistent reports of over-boarding and over-loading had little truth, but despite many things being done well, albeit differently from methods accepted internationally, enforcement of cabin-safety regulations were persistently neglected. As this was highly visible to passengers, it was not surprising that the impression of an unsafe system gained credence.
One of the first areas examined was the question of which organisations hold authority for air transport in post-Soviet Russia. Before glasnost, the civil-aviation ministry and state-owned airline Aeroflot together administered all civil airline, airport and air traffic control (ATC) functions under the old Soviet air code. With the fragmentation of the industry, which followed the end of the Soviet Union, no clear lines of authority or responsibility remained.
Although work began in 1992 on a new air code, this needs to be completed and enforced to international standards, with clear lines of authority established in accordance with recommendations outlined in the commission's report.
The next area to be examined was flight operations, and the commission has recommended a tightening of many procedures, together with additional training for DAT inspectors and some redefinition of responsibilities. There are no recommendations relating to aircraft-maintenance centres (although the DAT's work will be outlined later), except that the DAT's lack of capability to certificate or oversee the operation of foreign-manufactured aircraft is identified as requiring attention.
Surprisingly, although the commission notes, that airlines must prove themselves capable of performing safely, no analysis is made of the criteria involved, nor is any appraisal made, of the airlines finances.
Praise is given to the data-management capability of the GosNII GA. The research institute co-relates the analysis of flightdeck-recorder and cockpit-voice recorder data on a non-culpable basis to assess crew techniques and skill, and to develop operational lessons for each type. This is done in conjunction with the operators and provides valuable data for accident prevention. The commission recommends that this programme should be considered for incorporation in the accident-prevention programmes of all civil-aviation authorities.
The commission also strongly recommends that Russia harmonise its safety-data reporting to conform with international standards.
ATC RESPONSIBILITY
On ATC matters, the commission recommends that responsibility shared by the DAT and Rosaeronavigatsia, should be transferred completely to Rosaeronavigatsia, that the English language training, should be provided to all personnel likely to be involved in controlling international traffic and that instrument procedures for non-international airports, should be published in the Russian aeronautical information publication, for emergency use when needed. The financial difficulties of some regional ATC centres brought a recommendation that Rosaeronavigatsia (perhaps as a public corporation) should act as a central collector of fees and develop a standardised fee structure.
On accident investigation, the commission calls for the air code of Russia to establish an independent organisation with authority and responsibility for accident investigation.
Overall, the commission found that Russia "...currently minimally meets ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organisation] standards for safety oversight of the civil-aviation system". Many of the problems identified by it were found to have "readily identifiable solutions" which could be implemented quickly. Other problems would need international assistance "...to be most rapidly achieved". The report has been presented to the Russian and US Governments, but has not yet been published.
Before work on the report was begun, Zamotin had started looking at improving airline safety, and a lot of effort has subsequently taken place.
By November 1995, almost 470 airlines had been registered with the DAT. Zamotin dispatched inspectors and technical-audit teams to the airlines, and this resulted in about 100 operator's licences being withdrawn, suspended or not renewed. Additionally, a further 30 or so had their international permits withdrawn, although they were still authorised to operate domestically.
The audit teams have also grounded about 100 aircraft. Most of these groundings are permanent, but a few will be rescinded once specified equipment has been repaired or replaced.
The DAT has also begun the work of harmonising personnel licensing. During the Soviet era, when the state controlled regulations, manufacturing, operations, maintenance provision, training colleges and airports, it was not considered a major priority to give attention to paperwork on licensing. Now this is being brought into line with international norms.
All operational personnel are being checked for health, age, education and experience before being licensed appropriately. Engineering departments of airlines, which are only approved to carry out form 1 and 2 checks (about equivalent to Western A and B checks) are being audited for work practices and standards, and their personnel are being licensed.
The 13 civil-maintenance overhaul centres in Russia are now having each work process examined and all staff checked before being licensed as in the normal international requirement. The first to be licensed, on 23 December 1995, is BASCO, the major overhaul centre for Yakovlev Yak 42s and civil versions of the Ilyushin Il-76. Three more centres will follow and all are expected to be approved by the end of the year.
The DAT is expected to turn its attention next to airports. Although the Soviet Union had some 3,000 airports and airstrips, the separation of its republics and the substantial fall-off in air traffic is thought to have left about 1,000 remaining operational in Russia. Of these, just one, Sheremetyeto in Moscow, is category II-rated. It has been due to be upgraded to cat III for some years, but the work has not yet been completed.
Source: Flight International
