Flight safety informs pilots, maintainers of potential flying hazards

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs6/27/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Cruising at nearly 30,000 feet and traveling at speeds topping more than 500 mph with supplies intended for the joint-war fighter, a C-17 Globemaster III crew encounters another aircraft directly in their flight path.Events like this are easily avoided through proper planning, training and flight safety briefs."We, as aviators, all have the responsibility to be aware of potential conflicts and avoid them," said Maj. Ed Grier, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Flight Safety chief deployed from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., and a C-17 pilot by trade.The wing's flight safety office conducts monthly flight safety briefs objectively poised to abate potential flight safety risks."Typically we brief local flying hazards, especially weather, and go over any mishap trends Air Force-wide," Grier said. "We then brief a mishap that can be educational to the crew force, for example, 'lessons learned.'"However, these flight safety briefings make up only half of flight safety's officer and NCO responsibilities."We're like the crime scene investigators of safety," Grier said. "If we have a mishap, we find out what caused the incident so the same thing doesn't happen to another crew and aircraft."Approximately 65 percent of all near mid-air collisions reported occur near airports, 15 percent on low-level training routes, and 10 percent in military operating areas, according to the Air Force Safety Center.Grier said flight safety collects incident data and forwards it on to the Air Force Safety Center for a complete investigation. Inquiries conducted locally include bird strikes and hazardous air traffic reports (mid-air collision avoidance). The office also monitors for wildlife hazards and coordinates dispersal if required.But as with most organizations in the military, a healthy mix of both officer and enlisted personnel is needed to effectively accomplish the mission."We have some of the best NCOs out there working for us and we couldn't do it without them," said Maj. Nicholas Barnes, a 379th AEW flight safety officer and C-40 pilot deployed from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. "Flight safety NCOs are maintainers by trade, so they know all the ins and outs of maintenance and can speak the language."Flight safety NCOs, Master Sgt. David Yost, a B-lB Lancer crew chief deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and Tech. Sgt. Brandon Hopkins, an F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, said not only do they provide a sure line of communication between the maintainers and the pilots, but also between home station safety offices and the deployed flying units for mishap investigating and reporting."The reports we produce are used to prevent possible aviation mishaps both here at our deployed location and Air Force-wide," Hopkins said. "A hazard identified here on a single aircraft could impact many more fleet-wide. For example, if there is a problem with an aircraft component here, we would investigate and determine an appropriate recommendation to prevent recurrence."The recommendation, Hopkins continued, is then channeled to aircraft engineers and approved repair actions may be implemented to all other aircraft of the same model to prevent future mishaps.Individuals selected to fill the position should have, as a minimum, maintenance experience on a unit-assigned airframe with at least two years' experience as a 7-level. FSNCOs are primarily crew chiefs or flight engineers."Having knowledge of aircraft maintenance operations allows us to easily identify potential hazards on the flight line," Yost said. "We conduct inspections on the flight line as well as monitoring flight line maintenance and operations to ensure the safety of all 379th AEW personnel and aircraft."[Editor's note: This story is part three of a three-part series highlighting the three sections of wing safety.]

Ground: Putting the “S” in safety

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs6/20/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- "Mission first, safety always," said Master Sgt. Michael Asdel as he explained the meaning of the phrase coined by wing safety professionals Air Force-wide."In the same way, I am an Airman first and a safety professional always," he said. "Safety is everyone's responsibility -- we're just here to make sure everyone is following the safety guidelines as trusted counselors to wing and installation leaders."Asdel is a 379th Air Expeditionary Wing safety technician deployed here from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., who works hand-in-hand with the installation's weapons safety section. Contrary to the other two sections in safety, weapons and flight, ground is an actual Air Force specialty. This fact sets them apart from the other two safety sections."Going to safety school really opens your eyes to a new world and way of looking at things," he said. "It's a whole new experience. As an Airman we have to be safety conscious, but as safety technicians, we are here to ensure supervisors are doing what they need to do to be safety conscious themselves."Ground safety personnel responsibilities include the training of managers, supervisors and employees to identify, evaluate and control workplace hazards and ensure mishaps are investigated and reported. The ground safety program includes operational, occupational, off-duty and traffic safety concerns. These concepts are taught to each unit safety representative, who are the eyes and ears of the wing's safety office and essential to safe completion of the wing's mission."No one knows their work centers better than the individuals who work in them," Asdel said. "Our office is here to help and provide the knowledge and guidance necessary so everyone goes home safe."Asdel said he's been very happy with how concerned units are here with safety."Since I put boots on the ground in April, I've seen no signs of complacency or deviation on safety matters," he said. "I'm particularly proud of the civil engineers and maintainers with their 'lock-out, tag-out' program in place to control hazardous materials around the installation."Ground safety conducts annual inspections of all units on base, while their ground unit safety representatives carry out monthly spot inspections, disseminate safety educational materials and verify unit safety briefings are being conducted."These USR's are an instrumental component to the success of the safety program," said Asdel. "We couldn't do what we do without their assistance. With no annual or monthly inspections -- safety could be put on the backburner and service members could get hurt. So you can see why what we do here is very important."Ground safety also maintains strong partnerships with other agencies across the base."Our primary partners include bioenvironmental engineering, the fire department and public health," said Tech. Sgt. Joel Barnett, a 379th AEW ground safety technician deployed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. "These agencies help us to mitigate and abate hazards."As with most functions in the military, the mission isn't a success without the combined efforts of multiple agencies. Jets require maintainers to keep them serviceable, but can't fly without pilots. Service members can't perform at their best without water, food and lodging. Without safety, the risk for injury and possibly death could skyrocket."It's a team effort," added Asdel. "It takes every Airman, all the way from airman basic to the wing commander to keep ourselves and our wingmen safe. Mishaps are going to happen, we know this, but it's our job to educate and prevent them as best we can."[Editor's note: This story is part two of a three-part series highlighting the three sections of wing safety.]