NBAA Calls For SMS Comment Extension

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NBAA is asking the FAA to extend the comment period for its proposed expansion of safety management system (SMS) requirements to charter and air tour businesses, along with type certificated manufacturers. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published Jan. 10 and the comment period expires March 13. NBAA says that given the complexity and scope of the proposed rule, it and the hundreds of members who will be affected need more time to sift through the details. “Additional time will be needed to fully evaluate the proposed additions … their impact on affected stakeholders,” said NBAA Director for Safety and Flight Operations Mark Larsen, CAM.

Like all the other aviation groups that reacted to the announcement, NBAA says that it supports the concept but that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for many of its members. “We’ve seen how SMS directly benefits the safety of business aviation stakeholders that have adopted such programs voluntarily,” Larsen said. “Their experiences also highlight that, for any SMS to be a truly effective solution, it must be tailored to the size and complexity of the operation. Our review of the FAA’s NPRM will closely examine if such scalability would be possible under the changes proposed by the agency.” NBAA doesn’t specify the length of the extension it’s seeking.

Russ Niles
Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The 147 page document is a typical FAA document, larded with endless bureaucratese, legalese and acronyms. Why can’t FAA documents be focused on specific safety fixes, instead of impenetrable mounds of gibberish? Try reading it yourself. So frustrating. Unfortunately even ADs, which are suppose to pinpoint specific safety issues, are overloaded with bureaucratic bloat, and sometimes leave the main point somewhat obscure.

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