The Airline Process

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The Airline Process
Malaysia Airlines Experiences
Captain Missman Leham Flight Safety and Human
Factors, Malaysia Airlines 3rd ICAO-IATA LOSA
TEM Conference 13-14 September 2005 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
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Objectives

• To briefly describe some of the processes
  involved in the implementation of a LOSA programme

• To share what we have learned from our own
  experiences.

3
LOSA Milestones

• Working Team Selling/Planning/Preparations

• Selection, Training and Recalibration of LOSA
  Observers

• Data Gathering and Transmission

• Data Processing (TLC)

• Report - Presentation of findings

• Communicating the findings

• The next step - SCP.

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Malaysia Airlines Fleet Composition
Boeing 747-400
17 2
Boeing 777-200
17
Airbus 330-300
11
Airbus 330-200
3
Boeing 737-400
39
10
Fokker 50
Twin Otter
5
Total
104
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Our Observations

• Observation took place May-July 2004

• 309 observation flights carried out

• 285 crew sets observed

• Operations into 52 Airports observed

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Observation Demographics
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A Few Good Men

• Appoint a dedicated LOSA Manager

• Form Steering Committee Working Group

• Important to get the right mix

• The Young and The Grayed

• From as many different fleets as possible

• Individuals committed to the concepts of
• CRM and Threat and Error Management

• A good collection of individual and group
  skills.

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Planting Seeds

• Preparation began 2 years before LOSA

• Carefully selected snippets of Information

• LOSA articles from Industry Journals, UT
  website,
• Conferences Proceeding Handouts, etc.

• Introduction of LOSA concepts into CRM
• courses and the annual Safety Awareness
• Programmes

• The introduction of Threat and Error
• Management concepts into Fleet Training.

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The Budget

• In can be difficult to be accurate

• In Malaysia Airlines, we decided to ticket all
• observers, after the budget was approved.

• Unexpected advantages presented themselves.

• Prudent management allows budget fulfillment.

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Selling LOSA to the Board

• Division Senior Management must be convinced

• Together with LOSA Manager, the concept must
• be communicated to the rest of the board
  members

• A Budget must be approved Dont forget
• the bean-counters.

• A Management Paper should be submitted

• Board must not only approve the exercise,
• they must endorse the concept.

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The Importance of the Pilots Union

• It is imperative that the Pilots Union become
• a significant stake holder in this project

• Improving Safety equals better welfare
• for the Unions members

• LOSA is in the best interest of the Pilots

• The Union should ideally dedicate full time
• officers to the project.

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Planting more Seeds

• Communications Officer should start a
• carefully planned barrage of more detailed
• information about the LOSA concept / project

• Set up a LOSA Information Website
• Disseminate soft and hard copies of LOSA stories
  from other airlines
• Compose an FAQ to be placed on the website and
  slowly disseminate hard and soft copies of the
  same.

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Early Days

• Steering Committee plans regular meetings

• Regular reference to The LOSA Implementation
• Checklist, TLC, and other LOSA airlines

• Tasks farmed out to individuals

• The importance of proper documentation,
• monitoring tasks assignments, action plans
• Project Management Software can help

• Set up a LOSA command centre with dedicated
• e-mail box, fax and telephone facilities.

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The LOSA Year

• More Frequent LOSA Working Group Meetings

• Less Frequent Steering Committee Meetings

• Final Arrangements The LOSA Survival Guide

• Finalise Observer Training Venues

• Finalise Procedures and communicate them to
• relevant personnel

• Divisional Briefing Other divisions should
  understand
• what we are doing they can help

• Selection of LOSA Observers.

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Divisional Briefing

• Security Department to arrange additional
• clearances and Identification.

• Catering Additional Meals for Observers.

• Cabin Crew To recognize an observer and
• assist him to the cockpit.

• Technical Support Head sets and Jump-seat

• Accounting To pay LOSA observers fees and
• allowances.

• Oversea stations HOTAC, Transportation, etc.

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Selecting your Observers

• Remember, these are the Authors of your LOSA

• Must be computer and Internet savvy

• Must have good understanding of CRM

• Must have good writing skills

• Personal Notebook Computer ownership would
• be most advantageous

• A strong mix of backgrounds, age groups
• and experience levels.

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Problems

• We have never done this before

• People can be very suspicious of anything new

• People will be reluctant to do things
  differently
• Divisional Briefing Helps

• New procedures should be clear and well
• documented

• Decide early if the Flight Safety Department
• requires more full time staff dedicated to
  LOSA.

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The LOSA

• Observation schedules should be drawn up
• and handed to fleet schedulers.

• LOSA duties should appear on the observers
• individual roster to prevent FTL breaches.

• Training Week includes 2 days of Training
• Observations and ends with a day of Observer
• Calibration

• Observations begin immediately after
• training is concluded.

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The LOSA

• Observers dispatch completed reports directly to
• The LOSA Collaborative (TLC)

• TLC should periodically report number of
  reports
• received, in case there is a need to
  schedule
• additional observations

• Be prepared for computer problems such
• as hard drive crashes and lost reports -
  Backups

• Ensure Observers send in their reports as
• soon as they are completed Reports can be
  edited
• after submission and resubmitted to TLC.

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Beware ! - The Rogue Observer

• Writing LOSA reports is not an easy process.
• Some observers may have difficulty completing
• their reports

• Poorly written or weak reports will be discarded
• and of no value to the analysis

• Contingencies should be factored into the
• planning to ensure sufficient acceptable reports
• are submitted.

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Closing LOSA Observations

• When TLC confirms sufficient reports have been
• submitted

• It may be necessary to plan additional
  observations
• during the last week of the LOSA programme to
  
• make up the minimum numbers required

• Once TLC says yes

• Support staff can begin processing observers
• claims

• LOSA Manager can go to the beach

• Everyday, for 2 months

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The LOSA Report

• Straight to the BoSS

• Board warned of consequences

• Red-faced

• Need to be dealt with carefully shooting duck

• Joint presentation with TLC

• Divisional commitment for change

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Summary

• Planting seeds

• Selling LOSA to the BoSS Bean counters

• Union participation stake holders

• Observers The Authors of your LOSA

• Handle findings with care

• Communicate the results

• Do not get over-enthusiastic for SCP ..

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The End.
Thank You