SEMET Safety Update End of Year 2024
October - Decemeber 2024
A somewhat belated happy new year and welcome back to the next safety update covering the end of 2024. We’ve seen new aircraft entering the fleet and the challenges that brought, as well as the start of some rather disappointing periods of weather hampering flying.
As you will see, every reported safety event has an impact on the statistics and therefore, our awareness and potential actions taken to mitigate any stand out trends or threats. In short, every report matters, so thank you to all that have reported via the safety system.
Statistics
Winter arriving has brought some slight changes in types of reports received, but for the most part our reporting trend is becoming fairly consistent.
Headline reporting rate of 2.4% below our target of 3.5% a slight drop of 0.1% compared to the same period last year. Our best year for reporting in this period was 2022 where a whopping 3.7% of movements had a report. We can all work together to achieve this number again by continuing to submit a safety report when anything affecting safety has been experienced.
Chart 1. SEMET Aviation Safety reports rate as a percentage of movements
In this most recent period we’ve had a few more ADM - Admin Errors reported events than usual. This was due in part to new aircraft being accepted on the fleet and the difficulties operating the aircraft with its differences. More on this below!
Chart 2. SEMET Aviation report categories as a percentage of total reports
ADM
Last year we took delivery of the Cessna 152 Aerobat G-BMYG. Shortly after starting the operation of the aircraft we received multiple safety reports in relation to differences measuring the fuel onboard.
YG, although a Cessna 152, has extended range fuel tanks, meaning it is different to all the other C152 aircraft on the fleet. Thanks to all the reporters here, highlighting a threat to safety, we grounded the aircraft until a suitable and safe solution was found.
After release of a Safety Notice (with fuelling restrictions) we restarted training operations with YG and have had no reported repeats of the confusion. Also, crucially, we have now adapted the way we introduce new aircraft onto the fleet to catch any differences before operations begin.
This demonstrates how our reporting system can lead to a positive and proactive outcome.
The Safety Notice can be found on the wall in Operations along with copies in the aircraft documents folder and POH. If you have any further questions/concerns in relation to the YG Safety Notice an instructor will be happy to help.
Also still high on the agenda is SCF - System / Component Failure or Malfunction and MAC - Mid Air Collision. A MAC event we had last year involved an AIRPROX report with more information below.
SCF
The continued reporting of how SCF is having an affect on flight safety is so important. Work is ongoing to address this. With the continued reporting and techlog entries we are also introducing a new method of accepting aircraft back from engineering scheduled checks.
The intention is to capture defects and either rectify or log them early. This should hopefully increase awareness and decrease the impact of SCF on flight safety.
MAC
An AIRPROX event in autumn last year helps to solidify why learning from events can be so valuable to all of us. AIRPROX is reported when a risk of collision exists and can be reported by pilots to Air Traffic Services Units (ATSU).
Did you know?
An AIRPROX should be reported when a risk of collision exists with another aircraft and can be reported by pilots to Air Traffic Services Units (ATSU) and/or via the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) website:
Approximate position and direction of SEMET PA28 when the AIRPROX occured.
The event involved one of our PA28 aircraft and a tow aircraft and glider out of Lasham airfield (4NM SW of Odiham).
The PPL student pilot who was solo at the time, thankfully reported the event to SEMET safety as well as an AIRPROX being filed with the UK Airprox Board (UKAB). They wanted to provide their experience of the process below to show what a positive impact reporting can have:
“Due to a last minute change of route for my Solo Cross Country I found myself flying a rather long leg from Goodwood to Wellsbourne, some 100nm, planned almost straight that I had never flown before.
The last minute change meant I hadn't done enough planning and hadn't dealt properly with the threats of passing close between Lasham and Popham. This led to me being involved in an AIRPROX passing by Lasham. It was a lovely day and Lasham was busy, Farnborough warned me about the traffic. I had seen them, but it was still too close.
Semet were very supportive when I got back, and while I've been kicking myself for lack of attention up front, they have been nothing but helpful and non-judgemental. Charles from SEMET took a briefing from me, spoke to the other pilot, and made some recommendations that I think will help everyone.
So I've learnt to do more planning, have had a proper think about deconfliction actions, and hopefully this has helped avoid incidents like this in the future.”
A big thank you to Dean Smith, the student involved for being so open to learning and helping provide the information necessary for us all to learn from this experience. Dean was happy for us to use his name to promote openness.
From this, we can learn that time pressure and last minute changes my distract us from our vital tasking of analysing where the risks may been on our flight and preparing for them. Identifying and avoiding busy areas of airspace at the planning stage will help to reduce the likelihood of similar events occurring. If unavoidable, extra vigilance through a good lookout and setting the aircraft to a flight in poor visibility configuration would help to see and avoid.
Identification of busy airspace in the planning stage is key
More info about Lasham?
Click on the link below to see a presentation on where and when their glider operations take place:
After this event it’s beneficial to remind everyone that we have a Just Culture within the SEMET safety system to give reporters the confidence to report everything that occurs that affects safety.
Instrument Rating (Restricted) training overhead Southampton
Just Culture
Our Just Culture within SEMET accepts that as humans we all make errors from time to time, there is no getting around that. When reporting these unintentional errors an individual should feel comfortable in doing so and SEMET will endeavour to support the reporter in any development required. If as pilots we don’t feel supported, it makes it hard to bring up errors, so our Just Culture should empower you to make safety reports that have included your own errors with no judgement. No risk of penalty should exist if errors/actions are unintentional and not subject to significant negligence.
Further Reporting
As always thank you to all of those who submitted a safety report over the last few months of the year, helping to contribute to making SEMET the safest club and training organisation we can be.
SEMET Aviaition Reporting Form
Let’s all continue to work together and keep getting those reports in, improving safety for everyone.
Along with the QR codes around the clubhouse, anything affecting flight safety can be reported here via the SEMET website:
As ever, we’re available to answer any queries you may have related to reporting or general safety via: safety@semetaviation.co.uk
