Report Finds Flight Department Deficiencies

The latest annual report from flight-safety auditor ARGUS International shows deficiencies in safety-management systems and emergency-response planning at corporate flight departments. The report, which can be ordered at no charge on the company's Web site, is based on 2009 audits of 61 flight departments by ARGUS subsidiary Pros (Partners and Resources for Operational Safety). According to the report, 67 percent of the departments lack an adequate internal evaluation plan and 44 percent don't have adequate safety committees. Among other weak areas: safety-management-system training (41 percent) and manuals (34 percent); safety policy (31 percent); flight-operations manuals (28 percent); risk assessment (28 percent); and hazard reporting and tracking (23 percent).