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TESTIMONY OF 
 MAJOR GENERAL KENNETH W. HESS
CHIEF OF SAFETY, USAF

 BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REGARDING DEFENSE SAFETY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL (DSOC) AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
AVIATION SAFETY MISHAP RATES AND CURRENT AND FUTURE AVIATION SAFETY INITIATIVES

FEBRUARY 11, 2004

Introduction

Mr. Chairman and members of this distinguished Committee: it is my pleasure to be here to talk with you about our aviation safety programs.  As a nation, our aviation assets are unsurpassed.  We have the capability of quickly establishing air dominance anywhere our national interest is challenged and we must be able to accomplish this task without unnecessary risk to our pilots, crews and passengers.  After a decade of relatively flat improvement in our accident rates, the Department experienced the first increase in our aviation accident statistics in fiscal year 2002.  We are committed reducing aviation mishaps and mishap rates, and I would like to take this opportunity to lay out our plan and ask for your support as we shape our future efforts.

In addition to being the Chief of Air Force Safety, I am also here representing the Department as the Chair of the Aviation Safety Improvement Task Force.  We are fortunate to have our Secretary so committed to the safety and well being of our force as this provides us a rare opportunity to make a real difference in our safety culture.

Since taking office, the Secretary has sought to change how the Department of Defense views the safety of its military personnel and civilian employees.  Our goal is zero preventable mishaps and we have taken a major step in that direction.   In a May 2003 letter to the Department's leadership, the Secretary challenged all of us to reduce the number and rate of mishaps by 50 percent over the next two years.  This is not "business as usual" - this requires real cultural change. 

Defense Safety Oversight Council

To enable this change, the Secretary of Defense chartered the Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC).  This Council is composed of the Under Secretaries of Defense, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Under Secretaries of the Military Departments and is chaired by the Under Secretary for  Personnel and Readiness.  The Council meets bimonthly to provide governance to our accident reduction efforts and ensures the personal involvement of the senior leadership. The DSOC is not a group of safety and health professionals discussing accident prevention, it is the senior management of the Department focusing on reducing the effects of accidents on the bottom line: operational readiness.

The DSOC has also been briefed by industry and government leaders who have world-class safety programs. We are looking at ways to apply their experience in the Department of Defense.  For example, the DSOC has heard from government and industry co-chairs of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, called CAST, to discuss their approach to reduce commercial aviation fatalities.  Additionally, the DSOC invited representatives from the   National Highway  and Traffic Safety Administration to discuss their programs for reducing the largest cause of accidental death in the military - traffic fatalities. 

The DSOC established several Task Forces to address these and other safety challenges.  The eleven task forces recommend policies, programs, and investment to reduce accidents and injuries in the areas of Aviation Safety, Military Training, Deployment and Operations, Industrial and Installation Operations,  Private Motor Vehicles to name a few.  Each Task Force is charged with developing "quick wins" as well as longer-term initiatives to meet the 50% reduction goal.  The Task Forces are led by a General Officer or a member of the Senior Executive Service and are composed of both functional leaders and subject matter experts from across the Department.  Each Task Force also seeks the expertise and best practices from industry and other government agencies.

Aviation Safety Improvements Task Force

The Aviation Safety Improvement Task Force is a joint team composed of leading experts in aviation safety.  We have established an Executive Steering Group to provide leadership and my counterpart at the  Naval  Safety  Center, RADM Brooks, serves as the Vice Chair.  We also have representatives from Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Coast Guard, commercial aviation, and aircraft industries providing direct support to our efforts.

The key to the success of the Aviation Safety Improvements Task Force will be to use a data-driven approach to provide the factual underpinnings that support long-term risk and mishap reduction efforts.  The lessons of the CAST in this respect are clear - credible results and recommendations that can withstand scrutiny must be based on fact and not on preexisting notions of problems, or solutions. 

The Task Force will operate under two premises.  First, we recognize that mishap prevention has been and will remain primarily a Service issue, and the Task Force will rely on each Service to pursue risk reduction levels to meet the Secretary's guidance.  Nonetheless, the Task Force will review Service progress on those mishap areas with high levels of outside interest, even though the particular issue may be isolated to a single Service.  The Task Force also recognizes that there are issues that cut across Service lines.  In these areas, we will use our CAST-like process to identify hazards and mitigate risks, and to value the merits of risk mitigation strategies.    

As I mentioned previously, if this process is to remain credible and produce recommendations that can withstand scrutiny, it must be data driven.  Each Service has a good understanding of its particular problem areas, but as we attack this from the corporate level, we must have an accurate corporate picture from our mishap data.  We have chartered a joint working group to consolidate each Service's mishap data into this single, corporate view and clarify any inconsistencies.  This effort will identify those areas that have the highest potential payoff in reducing fatalities, the number of destroyed aircraft, and ultimately reducing the mishap rate.  Similarly, we have chartered a working group to develop a standardized taxonomy for implementing the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System, which looks at human error.  In addition, this group will assess the feasibility of using modern, web-based survey tools and techniques to measure organizational safety culture at the unit level.  Using a common language to link HFACS post mishap analysis to precursor attitudes that influence flight safety will be a serious step forward in understanding and mitigating human factor mishaps.  

Specific Aviation Safety Improvement Task Force Plans 

As you know a straightforward look at Air Force mishap rates over the past decade shows only slight improvement, but a pure numbers perspective alone does not adequately describe the operating environment that produced those numbers.  During this decade the Air Force got 40% smaller, but deployments and O P S TEM P O reached new highs while we sustained combat operations in the Balkans, and continued Operations Northern and Southern Watch.  This was only exacerbated with the beginning of the global war on terrorism with Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. 

The net result of this tempo has been higher risk levels not only during combat operations, but during training and deployments as well.  Taken in full context the Air Force's safety record over the past decade is exceptional.   That said, the spike we experienced in 2002 mishaps was a serious concern for the Air Force.  General Jumper and Air Force leaders down to the squadron and flight have worked diligently to drive that rate back down.  Consequently, our mishap experience in FY 2003 was more nearly like the decade average of 1.38 mishaps per 100,000 flying hours. 

Still, the larger question remains:  "Can we afford today's mishap rate tomorrow?"  The DSOC Aviation Improvement Task Force's data driven approach is the right strategy to identify hazards and implement controls to reduce risk in current operations.  The Air Force has completed an initial 10-year mishap analysis (Attachment 1).  The results of that effort point to the need to concentrate efforts in the following areas: Controlled Flight into Terrain, Power plant failures, Mid-Air Collisions, and Loss of Control In-Flight.  I'm confident that many, if not all, of these areas will surface in our Task Force study effort as well. 

Key Initiatives

Over the last ten years, the Air Force has implemented several key initiatives to drive mishap rates lower, even as mission complexity increases inherent risks.  This committee expressed an interest in aging aircraft and its effect on mishap rates.

To answer this concern directly, we have not identified any aging issues that drive mishap rates.  The Air Force has aggressive programs and uniform standards of airworthiness that apply to all aircraft.  We have developed a structured program for assuring the operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness (OSS&E) of our systems and end items throughout their life cycle.  Airworthiness Certification Criteria have been published and a single manager for each weapons system is accountable to apply these hundreds of criteria to their assigned aircraft.  As aircraft age, it becomes more expensive to maintain these airworthiness standards, but this policy ensures the airworthiness standard is consistently applied. 

In addition to airworthiness standards there are several other programs worthy of mention. The Air Force continues to improve our long-established Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP), which uses a systems engineering approach to control risks of structural failure.  The ASIP guidance document was updated in 2002 to increase our focus on aging airframe issues, and we are now even more diligent in addressing widespread fatigue damage, which could reduce structural redundancy. The Air Force Materiel Command established an Aging Aircraft Program Office that targets development of crosscutting techniques and equipment to predict, prevent, detect, analyze and repair aging-related problems in aircraft structures and systems.  An Air Force Fleet Viability Board (FVB) stood up this last year, at the direction of the Secretary of the Air Force, to provide senior leaders with an unbiased assessment of the requirements and costs to maintain the airworthiness and effectiveness of the evaluated aircraft types. Completely independent, they are tasked to provide the best answer for our national defense and the American taxpayer.   

Engine Risk Management 

The Air Force uses risk management principles to manage the airworthiness of our aircraft engines.  Our 10-year safety analysis showed that engines were the most frequent Class A and B mishap we experience, and the main driver of destroyed aircraft.  Using a risk-based process we set threshold levels for engine-related problems based on a calculated rate of non-recoverable in-flight shutdowns per 100,000 flying hours.  We then develop Engine Life Management Plans to maintain safety, combat capability and reliability of engines used in all major weapons systems for their projected service life. Much like aging aircraft issues, engines have similar challenges - these are addressed with Service Life Extension  Programs (SLEP), which are mid-life engine upgrades and  Propulsion Modernization  Programs (PMP) to modernize older design engines with new technology hardware, to retain critical aircraft like the T-38. 

Safety Investigation  Process and Recommendations 

A key to lowering the mishap rate is learning from our mishaps and implementing the lessons learned.  In 1995, in response to recurring concerns for the independence of accident investigators the Secretary of the Air Force agreed with an Air Force Blue Ribbon  Panel and directed the major commands to retain convening authority for Class A investigations, mandated safety courses for key board members, directed the Safety Center to provide a voting member on all Class A mishap investigations, and clarified the important point that "only the voting members of a board can change the final report." As a result, our USAF Safety Investigation Boards are more independent and their findings and recommendations are key to preventing future mishaps. 

Technology Improvements

The Air Force continues to invest in technologies, like Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) and Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS), whose benefits are only now being realized in our fleet of passenger and troop carrying aircraft.  TCAS should virtually eliminate high fatality midair mishaps; currently more than 70% of these type aircraft are equipped with this technology and the rest directed to comply by 2005. Similarly, TAWS will prevent catastrophic losses associated with Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT).  At the present time over 50% of Air Force troop and passenger aircraft are equipped with this technology and the rest directed to comply by 2005.

For fighter aircraft that fly highly dynamic missions our research laboratories have pioneered advanced safety systems capable of automatically preventing ground and midair collisions: the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) and Automatic Airborne Collision Avoidance System (AACAS).  Through advanced sensor fusion, digital terrain databases and digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, aircraft can autonomously take last-second evasive maneuvers to prevent mishaps.  A production version of AGCAS is available today and AACAS has just completed research flight-testing and is at least 5 years from production capability.

Panoramic Night Vision Goggles is another area where we are embracing technology to improve safety and performance.  The next generation of goggles will more than double our current field of view providing safer and more productive nighttime and near daylight operations.

Analysis

Central to our efforts to drive down mishap rates across the board will be those initiatives that will enhance mishap prevention. Operational risk management has matured significantly since introduced to the force in the late 1980s. The Air Force is teaching its tenants in all our training courses to ensure each airman understands and can use this powerful tool. Similarly, if we expect to reduce mishaps we have to know the trends and warnings available in our data. The Air Force has a significant investment in the Safety Automated System that provides a web-based mishap reporting and data management tool that allows quick, accurate tracking of mishaps and trends. Finally, for the past 3 years the Air Force has been validating the feasibility and benefit of adopting a commercial aviation best practice known as Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA).  This continual expert analysis of flight operations to detect mishap precursors is enabled by the routine download of recorded flight data.  Through detection of hazardous operational and equipment trends, commanders are made aware of their risks and can take appropriate mitigation measures. National and international airlines have embraced this technology for years.  The Air Force has commenced a $9M field evaluation program on the C-17, T-6, F-16 and Special Airlift aircraft to further develop the Military FOQA Operational Concept before widespread implementation. 

Future Safety Initiatives

Over the past 10 years, the Air Force has lost more than 300 airmen and nearly 250 aircraft, valued at over $11 billion, in aviation accidents that shouldn't have happened and could have been prevented.  It is tragic to lose members of our Air Force family, and it is unacceptable to lower our mission capability due to avoidable accidents.  Safety has to be a priority for everyone.   

The Air Force fully endorses Secretary Rumsfeld's 50% reduction goal, and we realize that real change has to start at the grassroots level. Commanders and supervisors are accountable for safety practices and standards and must take action to reduce mishap rates.  The key to this effort will be accelerating the cultural evolution of the Air Force.  To begin this effort General Jumper has established the Air Force Operational Safety Council (AFOSC), chaired by the Vice Chief of Staff, to oversee safety matters.  The AFOSC will monitor safety performance, examine new or emerging technologies from both the operational and safety perspectives, and direct required changes in Air Force policy, programs, and investment.   

Closing 

In closing, although there is much work to be done, I believe that we can make significant improvements in aviation safety.  The Secretary's 50% reduction goal is achievable and will directly increase our operational readiness.  We are a world-class military and will not tolerate preventable accidents.  We owe no less to the men and women who defend our Nation.