Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. -- Since the Department of the Air Force was created in 1947, air safety has been a top priority. Although the Aviation Safety division wasn’t officially created until 1950, you can’t think Air Force and not think aviation safety. The Aviation Safety division consists of safety-trained flight, engineering, and wildlife professionals preserving warfighting capability by establishing aviation safety policy. The division promotes mishap prevention programs for all aviation assets through the establishment of proactive safety programs.
The Aviation Safety division’s mission is national defense, and their role is to preserve Airmen, Guardians, and aircraft so we can maintain DAF mission readiness. The Aviation Safety division oversees the aviation mishap investigation process, collection and accuracy of flight safety data and the disposition of risk-mitigating actions. It provides proactive and reactive engineering and operational analyses of flight safety issues.
Additionally, the division directs the Aircraft Information Program, the Hazardous Air Traffic Report Program, the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard Program, the RPA Safety Program, and the Mishap Analysis and Animation Facility.
While many of the principles of Air Force Aviation Safety are the same and we often use lessons learned or best practices from civilian and commercial aviation safety, the biggest difference is our mission and where and how we fly.
“Air Force aircraft routinely fly in and out of austere locations, fly aircraft in close proximity to each other, and carry weapons, cargo, passengers, and patients anywhere in the world,” said Col. Tyler Berge, Aviation Safety division chief. “The Air Force mission is National Defense and our role in aviation safety is to preserve our Airmen, Guardians, and aircraft so we can maintain our readiness for that mission.”
The Aviation Safety division provides policy guidance and oversight, and supports education and training for the Department of the Air Force major commands, field commands, wings, and deltas. With this guidance, they can execute their operations safely, pursue proactive safety measures, investigate aviation mishaps, and ensure recommendations and corrective actions are implemented following a mishap.
Policies are constantly evolving to embrace changes in aviation, new technologies, and organizational structures. Many policies are generated through best practices found at the wing level, through sister services or commercial aviation.
“Proactive safety is always preferred,” said Berge. “As the old saying goes, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ It’s about applying good risk management at all levels, from the aircrew and support personnel executing the mission to system safety risk assessments in acquisition and sustainment processes.”
The Aviation Safety division is broken down into 5 branches: Engineering, Investigations, Operations, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, and the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard branch.
The engineering branch is tasked with supporting system safety and airworthiness. They provide technical assistance to any safety investigation board. SEFE is home to the Mishap Analysis and Animation Facility, which, in the event of a mishap, they analyze the black box recorded data for the Convening Authorities and occasionally National Transportation Safety Board. They also house the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance, which is the analysis of routine flight data to detect, measure, and mitigate hazards, while promoting the proper use of data for safety.
The Investigations branch is made up of trained mishap investigators who support Safety Investigation Boards and provide oversight of the process. SEFF has an investigator on-call, ready to travel for on-site Safety Investigation Board support, as appropriate. They also provide telephone support for all safety investigation boards 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Operations branch, or quality assurance and policy branch, is responsible for providing a quality control review of every aviation Class-A and Class-B mishap. SEFO drafts the final message of evaluation for those mishaps and establishes the Air Force’s official position on the mishap and resulting recommendations.
The Remotely Piloted Aircraft branch prevents RPA mishaps with proactive investigation, analysis, and recommendations. SEFQ’s vision is to be recognized worldwide as experts in RPA investigations, human factors, systems safety, operations research, and airspace integration.
The Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard branch contains the only two wildlife biologists in the Air Force, who are tasked with reducing wildlife hazards to aircraft operations. They provide on-site and remote support for installations worldwide. Additionally, this branch is responsible for our Aviation Safety Action Program and SAFEREP, the newest safety reporting tool for Airmen and Guardians. Every report is taken seriously, and what might seem like a minor discrepancy might be the missing piece of the puzzle in preventing the next major mishap.
“SEF is laser-focused on preserving combat power and readiness in everything we do,” said Berge. “Our policies, processes, and procedures provide the framework for commanders and Airmen alike to assess risk, make decisions, and to fly, fight, and win…airpower anytime, anywhere!”
For more information about the Aviation Safety division or its programs, visit https://www.safety.af.mil/Divisions/Aviation-Safety-Division/.