B E LG I A N C I V I L AV I AT I O N A U T H O R I T Y
S a f e t y P l a n 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 2 0U p d a t e 2 0 1 6
Federal Public ServiceMobility and TransportBelgian Civil Aviation Authority
Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016-2020
4Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Contents
Executive Summary
IntroductionContent and structure of the Belgian Plan for Aviation SafetyBelgian Plan for Aviation Safety - InformationLink to the European Plan for Aviation Safety
Systemic Actions (SA)SA01: Further implementation of the Belgian Aviation Safety Programme SA02: Safety training and safety promotionSA03: Set up a dialogue with the Belgian aircraft operators on Flight Data Monitoring programmes
Operational Actions (OA)Outline of risks in the Belgian civil aviation sector
Commercial AviationOA01: Ground safety OA02: Targeting of aircraft with lasersOA03: Runway incursionsOA04: Separation minima infringements during parachuting operations OA05: Unruly passengersOA06: Dangerous goodsOA07: Bird strikes
General AviationOA08: Airspace infringementsOA09: Safety issues related to formation flyingOA10: Safety issues related to parachuting operations
Emerging actions (EA)EA01: Unmanned Aerial Systems /Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems
Appendix A: ANS safety performance
Appendix B: Acronyms and definitions
Appendix C: BCAA risk management process
Appendix D: BPAS August 2016 status report
5Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
exeCutive summary
Potential threats to aviation safety come in many different forms - spe-
cific technical issues, operational and natural events, human errors; the
list is long and diverse. By quantifying the relative importance of po-
tential threats, we should be able to create a systematic, effective and
proportionate series of actions that will help us to deal with the highest
safety risks. The Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety (BPAS) contains safety
initiatives to address these key safety risks in aviation. The safety ope-
rational risks are identified based on analysis of safety outcomes (i.e.
accidents and incidents) at both national and global level. Aviation is
a global business and lessons learned from across the globe may be
equally applicable in Belgium, so the BPAS is also affected by key safety
issues identified by ICAO, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA),
and even other States national safety plans. The BPAS is consistent with
what the Agency is doing at a regional level. We are fully committed to
work in partnership with EASA to ensure Europe maintains the highest
possible standards of aviation safety. In addition, systemic risks (e.g. re-
gulatory/policy issues) that underlie the operational performance of the
civil aviation system are addressed.
In 2016, the focus will be on the development of a Just Culture climate
and on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 376/2014 on the repor-
ting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation. This will
contribute to a continuous improvement of safety information collec-
tion and management, allowing continuous identification of potential
critical areas to be addressed at both State and Service Providers levels.
The new area “Emerging Issues” mainly addresses the use of Unmanned
Aerial Systems (UAS) and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). The
popularity and application of UAS/RPAS – better known by the public as
drones - continue to grow. The use of UAS/RPAS remains an emerging
risk to both commercial and general aviation.
6Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Each action area includes the identification of safety issues as well as
the objectives to be achieved. During the period of this plan, the pro-
gress on the actions are monitored and evaluated. This feedback loop
ensures effective implementation aiming at continuous improvement.
The coordinated actions proposed in this edition of BPAS are expected
to make a difference in avoiding accidents and serious incidents, which
is the ultimate goal that links the activities together.
Nathalie Dejace,
The BCAA Director General a.i.
7Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
introduCtion
Content and structure of the Belgian Plan for Aviation
Safety
The Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety (BPAS) is the documented output of
an evidence based, pro-active approach to safety risks. At the heart of
the BPAS is the concept of safety risk management. The improvement
of safety is achieved by implementing actions that will best mitigate
these risks.
This edition of BPAS covers the five-year period between 2016 and
2020. Safety priorities identified in BPAS are addressed by specific ac-
tions through national rulemaking activities, through oversight activities
performed by the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) or through
specific safety promotion activities. Unfinished actions of the previous
plan are also included in the 2016 update.
The BPAS contains three categories of safety issues: systemic, ope-
rational and emerging. BPAS therefore contains three main chapters,
each one addressing the main safety areas and risk mitigating actions:
Ñ Systemic Issues
Ñ Operational Issues
Ñ Emerging Issues
The safety actions are therefore divided into 3 different types:
Ñ Systemic Actions (SA)
Ñ Operational Actions (OA)
Ñ Emerging Actions (EA)
8Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
These safety actions are realised through rulemaking and safety pro-
motion activities, or through focused oversight.
The following information is provided for each safety issue in the BPAS:
Ñ Description - Why has the issue been identified as an
important safety issue ?
Ñ Objectives - The expected safety benefits
Ñ Safety Performance indicators – How is the improvement
monitored ?
Ñ The safety actions
Ñ The action owner(s)
Ñ The alignment with the European Plan for Aviation Safety
(EPAS)
Ñ The target date
The BPAS is complemented by an Appendix D containing a status report
on the progress made until August 2016. The following information is
provided for each action item:
Ñ A summary of the work done
Ñ The action owner
Ñ The assessment whether the action is progressing according
to the BPAS
Ñ The identification of the status of the key deliverables. An
action is considered closed when the proposed deliverable
is achieved
This edition of the BPAS applies to commercial air transport (CAT)
operations, aerial work (AW) operations and general aviation (GA) ope-
rations helicopters.
Safety actions derived from safety recommendations by the Belgian Air
Accident Investigation Unit are also included in the BPAS.
9Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety - information
The BPAS is annually assessed and available on:
http://mobilit.belgium.be/nl/luchtvaart
belgisch_veiligheidsprogramma/veiligheidsplan
http://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/transport_aerien
programme_belge_de_securite/plan_de_securite
Link to the European Plan for Aviation Safety
In the European aviation system, rulemaking, oversight and safety
promotion activities are shared between the Member States and the
European Institutions. The European Aviation Safety Programme (EASP)
describes the roles and responsibilities that each of them have while
performing these functions. As certain competencies have been trans-
ferred from the Member States to the European Union, in order to obtain
a complete picture of safety in any single State, both the EASP and the
Belgian Aviation Safety Programme (BASP) need to be considered.
The EASP describes among other things the process to develop and
update the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS). The safety risks
identified in the EPAS are mitigated by safety actions that EASA, the
European Commission, the aviation sector and EASA Member States
take on board. All the partners work together, streamline their activities
and add their efforts to drive the accident rate further down.
The implementation of the BASP has resulted in the development of
the BPAS. BPAS forms a part of the Belgium aviation safety policy and
seeks to eliminate potential sources of safety problems through safety
promotion activities and through the optimization of regulatory and su-
pervisory activities. The BPAS is approved by the BCAA Director General
and is annually assessed and published.
Through the BPAS, the BCAA aims to contribute to the realisation of the
EPAS. The alignment between the EPAS and the BPAS is shown for the
relevant safety actions.
10Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
systemiC aCtions
This area addresses system-wide problems that affect aviation as a
whole. In most scenarios, these problems become evident by trigge-
ring factors and play a significant role in the final outcome of a safety
event. They often relate to deficiencies in organisational processes and
procedures.
SA01: Further implementation of the Belgian Aviation
Safety Programme
Description
The Belgian State shall further implement the Belgian Aviation Safety
Programme (BASP) in compliance with the ICAO Global Aviation Safety
Plan (GASP) and the EASP. The BASP describes the various regulations
and activities for maintaining and improving aviation safety and ensures
that Belgium operates in compliance with EU regulations and the safety
management requirements set forth in ICAO Annex 19. Included in the
BASP is the requirement for implementation of Safety Management
Systems (SMS) by the service providers. The transition to a State Safety
Programme requires increased collaboration across operational do-
mains to identify hazards and risks. The analysis of various forms of
safety data (safety occurrence reports etc.) is needed to develop ef-
fective mitigation actions. This requires that service providers and the
BCAA have to work closely together on safety risk management.
Collaborative efforts between service providers and the BCAA are also
essential to the development of safety performance indicators (SPI’s).
Safety data should be analysed to support the development and main-
tenance of SPI’s related to the risks of the Belgian aviation system. (see
also Appendix A: ANS Safety Performance)
11Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
The BCAA is an active member of the Network of Analysts (NoA). This
voluntary partnership between EASA and other aviation organizations
aims to enhance aviation safety in Europe by providing a framework for
the collaboration of safety analysis activity throughout the European
Aviation Safety Community. The primary mission is to improve aviation
safety by identifying safety risks and bringing such risks to the attention
of the decision makers. The NoA shall establish appropriate indicators,
elaborate a common European risk classification scheme and establish
analysis methodologies that will facilitate the sharing of information.
The BCAA conducted a gap analysis in 2016 to determine the remai-
ning gaps and actions for the further implementation of the BASP. This
analysis was conducted by means of the ICAO Gap Analysis Tool on iS-
TARS. This chapter has been reviewed in accordance with the outcome
of the latest analysis.
Objectives
Ñ Work with international organisations and service providers
to implement safety management
Ñ Improvement of the Belgian safety performance to enable
proportionate and timely corrective actions to be taken
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Timely implementation of actions and gaps as identified
through the ICAO Annex 19 State Safety Programme gap
analysis
12Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective Owner Alignment EPAS Date
SA01.01 Alignment of BCAA’s processes and procedures with Regulation (EC) 376/2014 BCAA/S-MAS MST.001 End 2017
Objective: To optimize BCAA’s safety risk processes and procedures with Regulation (EC) 376/2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation.
SA01.02 Drafting of a circular following the publication of Regula-tion (EC) No 376/2014 BCAA/S-MAS MST.001 Begin 2016
Objective: To clarify the application of the new regulation to the service providers and the general aviation sector.
SA01.03 Optimize and harmonize BCAA’s methodology for risk based oversight BCAA/S-MAS MST.001 End 2016
Objective: To prioritize audits and surveys towards the areas of greater safety concern.
SA01.04 Development and maintenance of national SPI’s BCAA/S-MAS MST.001 Continuous
Objective: To establish and maintain national SPI’s for all key aviation safety issues.
SA01.05 Development of an Annual Safety Review (ASR) BCAA/S-MAS MST.001 June 2017
Objective: To inform the public of the level of safety in civil aviation.
SA01.06 Development of a process to assess acceptable and unac-ceptable behaviour within the framework of Just Culture BCAA MST.001 Begin 2016
Objective: To describe the process for determining the acceptability or non-acceptability of the behaviours of persons involved in safety occurrence reports.
13Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
SA02: Safety training and safety promotion
Description
Safety promotion is identified as one of the four components of a State
Safety Program (SSP). Safety promotion is therefore a major component
of the BASP and together with the BCAA’s Safety Policy an important
enabler for continuous safety improvement, which is achieved mainly
through safety risk management and safety assurance.
Safety Promotion has two elements, notably:
Ñ Training/education
Ñ Safety communication
The BCAA maintains a safety training program that ensures that all per-
sonnel is trained and competent to perform their BASP duties. Training
programs are adapted to fit the needs and complexity of the BCAA’s
organization. The scope of the safety training is appropriate to each
technical functions’ involvement in the BASP. The provision of appro-
priate training to all staff, regardless of their level in the organization, is
an indication of the BCAA’s management commitment to an effective
SSP.
The BCAA has also developed formal means for safety communica-
tion. Safety communication is an important enabler for improved safety
performance and reduces the chances of accident and incident re-
currence. The BCAA’s safety communication takes various forms. The
means of safety communication include, but are not limited to:
Ñ BCAA’s Aviation Safety Information Leaflets (ASIL)
Ñ Seminars and workshops
Ñ The Belgian Aviation Safety Management Group Platform
(BASMG)
Ñ The website of the Federal Public Service of Mobility and
Transport
The BCAA organizes or participates in safety seminars and workshops
in collaboration with the commercial and general aviation sector, the
Air Accident Investigation Unit, the Ministry of Defence, the European
14Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the teams of the European Strategic
Safety Initiative (ESSI).
Extensive guidance material has been developed by teams of the
European Strategic Safety Initiative (ESSI) and the Safety Management
International Collaboration Group (SMICG) which addresses SMS prin-
ciples and implementation.
Objectives
Ñ Employees of the BCAA and the Air Accident Investigation
Unit are trained and competent to perform their SSP duties
Ñ Safety information is communicated and disseminated to the
aviation sector.
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Percentage of relevant BCAA employees appropriately
trained against their training requirements
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
SA02.01
Encourage the imple-mentation of safety promotion material developed by ESSI and SMICG teams
BCAA/S-MAS MST.002Conti-nuous
Objective:To encourage the implementation of the methods, guidance, best practices, etc. presented in the safety promotion material developed by the ESSI teams (ECAST, EHEST and EGAST) and the SMICG to the service providers and the general aviation sector.
SA02.02Promote the benefits of safety management sys-tems to senior managers
BCAA/S-MAS MST.002Begin 2017
Objective:To promote the benefits of safety management systems to senior managers by means of the SMICG documents “The Senior Manager’s Role in SMS” and “10 things you should know about safety manage-ment systems (SMS)”.
SA02.03Organize or participate in safety seminars and workshops
BCAA &AAIU(Be) MST.002
Conti-nuous
Objective:To organize or participate in safety seminars and workshops to discuss the most important safety risks applicable to the general aviation sector.
15Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
SA03: Set up a dialogue with the Belgian aircraft ope-
rators on Flight Data Monitoring programmes
Description
Many of the safety performance measures established to monitor safety
issues at industry level rely on data from Flight Data Monitoring (FDM)
programmes. FDM is the pro-active use of digital flight data from routine
operations to improve aviation safety and is mandatory for aeroplanes
with a Maximum Certificated Take-Off Mass (MCTOM) in excess of
27.000 kg. FDM offers the ability to monitor and evaluate operational
safety trends, identify hazards and risk precursors, and take appropriate
remedial action.
EASA and National Aviation Authorities (NAA’s) have formed a group
of experts called the European Authorities coordination group on FDM
(EAFDM). EASA will foster actions by States to improve FDM programmes
by the aircraft operators and assist States to monitor the standardization
of FDM events relevant to State Safety Programme top safety priorities.
The BCAA is an active member of the EAFDM.
The BCAA shall promote the operational safety benefits of FDM and
shall foster an open dialogue on FDM programmes. The BCAA shall
also encourage aircraft operators to include in their FDM programmes,
EADFM, EPAS and Belgian FDM events relevant for the prevention of
Runway Excursions (RE), Mid-air Collisions (MAC), Loss of Control in
Flight (LOC-I), Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) ,…
Objectives
Ñ Improve and promote FDM programmes with the objective to
bring safety benefits to operators
Ñ Allow the BCAA to better achieve its national safety objectives
and therefore to better manage the BASP
Ñ Sharing experience between aircraft operators.
16Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of Belgian aircraft operators with Belgian and/or
EAFDM indicators into their FDM programmes
Actions
Action NumberAction title & objective
OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
SA03.01
Discuss the ex-pected benefits of FDM with Belgian aircraft operators
BCAA/OPS MST.003 Continuous
Objective:Meet Belgian aircraft operators in order to establish a national FDM Forum and to discuss the expected benefits of FDM. The national FDM Forum shall agree on a Terms of Reference and a confidentiality agree-ment.
17Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
operational aCtions
Outline of risks in the Belgian civil aviation sector
The risk management performed by the Belgian State relates to any
occurrence occurring on Belgian territory and in Belgian airspace. In
addition, occurrences occurring on foreign territory and foreign air-
space involving Belgian aircraft operators are also included. The various
aspects of aviation are considered, including aircraft, companies oper-
ating in the aviation sector, air traffic control services, airports, ground
handling services, etc.
Aviation occurrences reported are entered in the ECCAIRS data-
base. The main safety risks can be deduced from the analysis of
these occurrences, and the operational actions to be set by the
management in view of accident prevention can be determined.
These actions concern both general and commercial aviation.
The BCAA Safety Committee addresses the aviation risks to be dealt
with as a priority, selected by taking into account factors such as the
level of risk-mitigation actions already in place.
18Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
The table below shows the types of occurrences that are considered
posing the highest risk derived from the 2016 update.
Commercial Air Transport
Ground handling related events
Runway incursions
Separation minima infringements
Birds strikes
Aircraft encountered turbulence / windshear
Interference by laser
Difficult / Unruly passengers
General Aviation
Airspace Infrigements
Parachute dropping activities
19Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
CommerCial aviation
This section addresses all types of CAT operations. Through analysing
the accident(s), serious incidents and other incident categories in the
national occurrence database ECCAIRS, the following safety risk areas
for CAT operations have been identified.
OA01: Ground safety
Description
Ground safety includes both ground handling and ground collisions.
According to the EPAS, ground occurrences are the fourth most fre-
quent risk area for fatal accidents. This risk area also leads to significant
damage to aircraft and equipment, highlighting the need for greater
safety efforts in ground operations.
The analysis of the reported occurrences has demonstrated that prob-
lems related to ground handling RAMP (Region of Aircraft Movement
and Parking) are common. These reports comprise a broad spectrum
of occurrences, e.g. damage caused to aircraft by ground vehicles, in-
correct weight and balance calculations, incorrect loading or fuelling
of aircraft etc. This risk area leads to significant damage to aircraft and
equipment, highlighting the need for greater safety efforts in ground
operations. De-icing and anti-icing flaws, inadequate de-icing proce-
dures, incorrect loading and weight calculation can also lead to loss of
control in flight (LOC-I) which is a main topic in the EPAS.
Following occurrences are classified as ground handing incidents and
are included in this operational action: aircraft marshalling, aircraft
parking, de-icing, line maintenance, servicing (catering, fueling, fluids,
other), loading (baggage, cargo, cargo shifted, incorrect loading, over-
weight take-off, incorrect center of gravity, incorrect fuel balance), as
well as collision of towed aircraft with object/obstacles and collision
20Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
aircraft-vehicle while the aircraft is standing still or being pushed-back
or towed.
The Belgian State didn’t have sufficiently detailed national regulations
in place with respect to ground handling. The BCAA has therefore
published regulations on the approval of suppliers of ground handling
services at Brussels-National airport.
Part of the regulation is the introduction of safety management systems
(SMS) at the suppliers of ground handling services. An SMS involves
a systematic approach that includes the administrative structures,
accountability, safety policy and procedures required for safety man-
agement. Suppliers of ground handling services shall use their SMS to
identify safety threats, ensure corrective action to maintain appropriate
levels of safety, carry out continuous monitoring and regular assess-
ment of safety levels, and strive for continuous improvement of the
safety management system. The implementation of following actions
should result in lower risk levels as well as in a relative decline in the
number of occurrences related to ground handling RAMP operations.
Objectives
Increased internal supervision and auditing to monitor the ground han-
dling companies
Safety Performance Indicators
Number of collisions on ground at Belgian aerodromes as a result of
ground handling operations in proportion to the number of movements
(SPI-POR-03)
21Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA01.01Approval of ground handling activities at Brussels-National airport for existing ground handling companies
BCAA/AASMST.004MST.018
FEB 2016
Objective:Timely approval of ground handling activities for existing handling companies at Brussels-National airport in accordance with the relevant Ministerial Decree.
OA01.02Approval of the maintenance program at companies using rolling stock and essential stock, as well as the approval of the conditions for roadworthiness testing of rolling stock at Brussels-National airport
BCAA/AASMST.004MST.018
End 2016
Objective:Timely approval of maintenance program at companies using rolling stock and essential stock, as well as the approval of the conditions for roadworthiness testing of rolling stock at Brussels-National airport in accordance with the relevant Ministerial Decree.
OA01.03 Develop safety awareness animations for ground safety Brussels Airport Company MST.018 Continuous
Objective: Improve the safety awareness at Brussels Airport by developing safety promotion material
OA01.04Continuous oversight of ground handling activities at Brussels-National airport for ground handling companies
BCAA/AAS MST.018 Continuous
Objective:Improve aviation safety by organizing a continuous oversight of ground handling activities at Brussels-National airport for ground handling companies in accordance with the relevant Ministerial Decree.
OA01.05Continuous oversight of companies using rolling stock and essential stock, as well as the conditions for roadworthiness testing of rolling stock at Brussels-National airport
BCAA/AAS MST.018 Continuous
Objective:Improve aviation safety by organizing a continuous oversight of companies using rolling stock and essential stock, as well as the conditions for roadworthiness testing of rolling stock at Brussels-National airport.
The BCAA shall check if:• the rolling stock and essential stock is sufficient, appropriate and safe;
• the rolling stock and essential stock are maintained, inspected and, where appropriate, undergo a roadworthiness test according to the applicable regulations.
Actions
22Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA02: Targeting of aircraft with lasers
Description
Laser emitters continue to pose a significant threat to aviation safety
and security. The exposure of air crews to laser illumination may cause
hazardous effects (distraction, glare, afterimage flash blindness…) which
could adversely affect the ability of air crews to carry out their respon-
sibilities and therefore requires adequate countermeasures to mitigate
this threat.
The number of reports of Belgian aircraft being targeted by hand held
lasers has decreased. This decrease may be due to the effective re-
duction of the number of laser attacks and/or to a less good reporting
culture for this type of incident. The BCAA has already contacted the
Belgian ANSP, the Federal Police and the airport authorities in order
to review and assess the current procedures in place at a number of
Belgian international airports related to the targeting of aircraft with la-
sers and to share best practices. The BCAA shall continue to monitor
23Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
the situation in cooperation with the Belgian ANSP, the Federal Police
and the airport authorities.
Objectives
Ñ Minimize the number of laser attacks as well as the effects
they have on flight safety during the critical phases of flight
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of laser targeting occurrences in proportion to the
number of movements (SPI-GEN-01)
Actions
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA02.01
Develop, review and assess the procedures to follow in the case of laser interference and to share best practices
BCAA/SAF MST.004 MID 2017
Objective:To improve the cooperation between the ANSP, the Federal Police and the BCAA to develop, review and assess the procedures to follow in the case of laser interference and to share best practices.
24Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA03: Runway incursions
Description
According to the definition provided by ICAO, a Runway Incursion (RI)
is defined as ‘any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect
presence of an aircraft vehicle or person on the protected area of a
surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft’.
The prevention of runway incursions is a key issue for airport safety. The
European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (EAPPRI)
is the result of the combined efforts of multiple organizations dealing
with safety at airports. It contains recommendations to all airport stake-
holders (including regulators, airport operators, ATC, aircraft operators,
etc.).
The implementation of EAPPRI recommendations will enhance run-
way safety. The development of mature and performant Local Runway
Safety Teams (LRSTs) is a key objective for the BCAA.
Runway Incursions - Type
Objectives
Reduce the number of RIs in fixed-wing commercial air transport
Safety Performance Indicators
Ñ Number of RIs by aircraft at Belgian aerodromes in proportion
to the number of movements (SPI-POR-01/SPI-ANS-03)
Ñ Number of RIs by vehicles at Belgian aerodromes in proportion
to the number of movements (SPI-POR-01/SPI-ANS-03)
25Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA03.05
Development of two Aviation Safety Information Leaflets (ASIL’s) on radiotelephony phraseology “Hold short on runway” and “Solo call sign suffix for student pilots”
BCAA/AAS MST.014 Begin 2016
Objective:To reduce the number of runway incursions. Phraseology issues have been identified after analysis of the reported runway incursion occurrences. The BCAA therefore decided to develop two ASIL’s on radiotelephony phraseology.
Runway Incursions - Severity
Actions
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA03.01Ensure that Local Runway Safety Teams are in place and effective
BCAA/AAS MST.011Continuous
Objective:At each Belgian airport LRSTs have been established, which comprise representatives from aircraft operators, Air Navigation Service Providers, airport operators and the BCAA. The BCAA is an active member of these teams. SMS audits performed by the BCAA verify their existence and effectiveness.
OA03.02Implement harmonized Terms of Reference (ToR) for all LRSTs
BCAA/AASMST.011MST.014
Begin 2016
Objective:To ensure the effectiveness of the LRSTs. The harmonized ToRs shall mention that LRSTs are systematically discussing runway incursions based on local risks.
OA03.03Develop a maturity indicator for LRSTs
BCAA/AAS MST.011 Begin 2016
Objective: To measure the effectiveness of the LRSTs.
OA03.04
Establish and update formal interfaces between the SMS’s of Belgocontrol and the Belgian international airports
BCAA/AAS MST.011 Begin 2016
Objective:To extend the scope of an organization safety management system to other stakeholders. In doing so, they shall establish formal interfaces with these stakeholders which may influence directly the safety of their services.
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
26Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA04: Separation minima infringements during para-
chuting operations
Description
Occurrences related to parachuting operations in areas with a high rate
of commercial air traffic lead to an increased risk of collision. Parachuting
operations have a low level of ATC controllability because of their late
conflict detection and their low possibility for an ATC recovery.
Parachuting operations often lacks standardized working procedures. A
standardized radiotelephony for these kind of activities is also missing,
which can lead to ambiguous transmissions and to a misperception of
auditory information. The ATC phraseology to indicate the starting and
ending of each phase of the parachuting operation is not sufficiently
detailed. This phraseology should be used at exact that moment the
aircraft ends a phase or wants to start the next phase of the flight.
The complex structure of the Belgian airspace (leading to a complex
sectorisation and to complex co-ordinations) and the very high fre-
quency of commercial operations in some ATC zones, in combination
with parachuting operations, contribute to an increase of the Air Traffic
Controller workload.
Objectives
Ñ Reduction of the number of occurrences related to separation
minima infringement during parachuting operations
Safety Performance Indicators
Ñ Number of occurrences related to separation minima
infringement during parachuting operations
27Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA04.01 Organize a discussion platform between pilots, ATCO’s, supervisors and the BCAA on parachuting operationsANSP &BCAA
MST.010 Begin 2016
Objective:To agree on standardized working procedures and a standardized radiotelephony phraseology.
OA04.02 Revision of the working procedures and the ATC phraseology related to parachuting operations ANSP &BCAA
MST.010 End 2016
Objective:To revise the working procedures for parachuting operations and to develop a standardized radiotelephony phraseology.
28Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA05: Unruly passengers
Description
An unruly passenger is defined by Annex 17 to the ICAO Chicago
Convention as: “A passenger who fails to respect the rules of conduct
at an airport or on board an aircraft or to follow the instructions of
the airport staff or crew members and thereby disturbs the good order
and discipline at an airport or on board the aircraft.” And by the Tokyo
Convention (1963) as: “Acts which, whether or not they are offences
[against the penal law of a State], may or do jeopardize the safety of
the aircraft or of persons or property therein or which jeopardize good
order and discipline on board.”
Basically, unruly passenger refers to a passenger behaviour that jeop-
ardizes or might jeopardize the safety of the aircraft, persons or property
therein or the accepted level of good order and discipline on board.
Most of the unruly passenger occurrences are related to smoking in
the lavatories of the aircraft, the use of mobile devices on board of
the aircraft and to drunk passengers. Potential consequences of unruly
passengers are the return of the aircraft, flight delay and flight diversion.
Objectives
Ñ Reduction of the number of occurrences related to unruly
passengers.
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of Unruly Passenger Occurrences (SPI-GEN-02)
29Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA05.01 Perform a comprehensive analysis of the unruly passenger occurrencesBCAA/S-MASBCAA/SAF
_ End 2017
Objective:To understand the size of the issue at national level and to identify potential safety measures that could reduce the number of unruly passenger occurrences.
30Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA06: Dangerous goods
Description
Dangerous goods are articles or substances which are capable posing a
risk to health, safety, property or the environment. These include obvi-
ous things, such as: explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids,
dangerous or volatile chemicals, strong acids, compressed gases, poi-
sons and aerosols. Everyday items that can cause problems include
toiletries, aerosols, tools and lithium batteries.
One of the safety actions related to fire, smoke and fumes in the EPAS
are aimed to raise awareness on the risks associated with the transpor-
tation of lithium batteries. The major risk associated with the transport
of lithium batteries and battery-powered equipment is thermal runway,
where the batteries heat up and produce toxic and flammable gasses as
a result of short circuit, malfunctioning or mishandling of the batteries.
Aircraft operators have to be informed of the risks associated with the
transport of dangerous goods and more particularly with the transport
of lithium batteries. Passenger awareness should also be raised, there-
fore preventing them from unintentionally carrying non-allowed items
while acknowledging the risks posed by lithium batteries.
Objectives
Ñ Further reduce the risks of accidents and serious incidents in
this category
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of dangerous goods occurrences
31Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA06.01 Approval of the transport of dangerous goods activities for ground handling companies BCAA/OPSMST.005MST.018
End 2017
Objective:Approval of the transport of dangerous goods activities for ground handling companies in accordance with the relevant national regulation.
OA06.02 Systematic auditing of operators’ outstations in the field of the transport of dangerous goods BCAA/OPS MST.005 Continuous
Objective:Improve aviation safety by organizing a systematic monitoring of the transport of dangerous goods at the operators’ outstations.
OA06.03 Transportation of lithium batteriesBCAA/OPSBrussels Airport Company
MST.005 Continuous
Objective:Inform all involved parties (operators, ground handlers, forwarders, airport operators, etc.) and raise passenger awareness on the risks associated with lithium batteries.
32Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA07: Bird strikes
Description
The presence of birds and other animals on and in the vicinity of an
aerodrome poses a serious threat to aircraft operational safety. The
majority of collisions occur at low altitudes, in the vicinity of an airport
during take-off and landing. Annex 14-certified aerodrome operators
are required to take the necessary actions to identify, manage and mit-
igate the risk to aircraft operations posed by wildlife (birds and other
animals) by adopting actions likely to minimise the risk of collisions be-
tween wildlife and aircraft, to as low as reasonably practicable.
The appropriate authorities are required to have in place procedures for
the identification and control of wildlife hazards on and in the vicinity of
an aerodrome, and to ensure that competent personnel evaluates the
wildlife hazard on a continuing basis.
At present, hundreds of bird strikes are reported each year in Belgium
and the number of bird strike reports continues to increase. The
consequences of bird strikes vary between a scared pilot to a severe
damaged aircraft. The increasing number of flights and growing bird
population will bring new challenges in the future.
Objectives
Ñ Reduce the risk of collision with birds
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of bird strikes including turbine engine ingestion at
the Belgian international airports (SPI-POR-02b)
33Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA07.01
Exchange of experience about specific technical issues in the field of wildlife management through the Belgian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Committee (BAWiHaC)
BCAA/AAS _ Continuous
Objective:Create a strong and open collaboration between the international airports for Bird Control Unit matters and to give a higher priority to wildlife issues on all levels of management.
34Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
General aviation
This area includes operations performed by gliders, balloons, microl-
ights, as well as fixed-wing aerial work and GA operations performed by
fixed wing and rotorcraft.
OA08: Airspace infringements
Description
Airspace infringement (AI) is also referred to as an unauthorized pen-
etration of airspace and is generally defined as a flight into notified
airspace without previously requesting and obtaining approval from the
controlling authority of that airspace in accordance with international
and national regulations.
The analysis of the reported incidents clearly indicates that the majority
of infringements are committed by General Aviation flights.
The overall number of reported incidents has dropped slightly. This
trend can be influenced by the increasing awareness of this type of risk
at the general aviation pilots because of the safety promotion actions
taken by the Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit and the BCAA.
35Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Objectives
Ñ Reduced Risk of Collision
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Number of Belgian airspace infringements caused by General
Aviation flights
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA08.01
Raise awareness of general aviation pilots by periodically reviewing the aviation safety information leaflets on airspace infringements
BCAA &AAIU(Be)
MST.010MST.016
Continuous
Objective:The Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit sends for each reported airspace infringement a standard questionnaire to the pilot to get more insight in the causes and nature of airspace infringements. The BCAA performs an in-depth statistical analysis of the airspace infringement problem in Belgium. The BCAA shall periodically revise the aviation safety information leaflets on airspace infringements to raise awareness of the risks involved with this type of occurrence and to provide correct information to general aviation pilots in order to avoid airspace infringements in the Belgian airspace.
OA08.02Support the initiative to simplify the complex structure of the Belgian airspace
BCAA/AAS &ANSP
MST.010 Begin 2016
Objective:The BCAA shall organise preparatory meetings with the stakeholders (Belgian ANSP Belgocontrol, the Belgian Air Force, a delegation of airspace users…) to discuss a possible simplification of the Belgian airspace in order to avoid airspace infringements in the Belgian airspace committed by general aviation flights.
36Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA09: Safety issues related to formation flying
Description
Formation flying is the disciplined flight of two or more aircraft un-
der the command of a flight leader. Historically, formation flight has
been a part of military training, almost since the start of military aviation.
Formation flying is used for discipline training, building trust in the other
pilots, providing mutual cover, etc.
In general aviation, formation flying is often observed for 2 reasons: tak-
ing photos of each other’s aircraft and because it is more challenging
than simply flying solo from point A to point B. Many aviation organi-
zations possess photos of their aircraft in flight. Many of those photos
however, where taken by pilots that were not briefed and trained for
performing formation flights. The BCAA will therefore take the initia-
tive to launch a safety information leaflet for general aviation related
to formation flying as a result of several safety recommendations from
aviation accidents.
Objectives
Ñ Fewer accidents or serious incidents due to formation flying
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Not applicable
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA09.01Develop a safety information leaflet for the general aviation community on formation flying
BCAA MST.004 Begin 2016
Objective:To inform the general aviation community on the existing regulation, highlight the associated risks and to provide guidance on the preparation of formation flying. The BCAA calls upon all Belgian federations, organizations and instructors active in civil aviation to limit formation flying among their community to a minimum and to accurately brief the hazards.
37Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
OA10: Safety issues related to parachuting operations
Description
The number of accidents and serious incidents with parachute drop
airplanes in Belgium in the past reflects not only the intensity of this
activity, but also the potential safety issues related to parachuting op-
erations. These accidents are coming on top on those linked to the
parachute activity itself. The risks associated with the parachute activity
itself are recognized within the parachute clubs. Through procedures,
training, re-training, supervision etc., these risks seem to be adequately
taken care of, while the associated flying activities are lacking equal
safety awareness. Currently, the regulatory requirements for parachut-
ing operations are those of aerial work. This means that these activities
require an authorization per Chapter VII, Section 4 – art. 50 of Royal
Decree of March 15th 1954.
Considering the volume of the activity and the potential danger to the
occupants of the airplanes involved, the BCAA will take the initiative to
launch actions pertaining to the activity of parachuting operations in
order to increase the safety of this activity to an acceptable level.
Objectives
Ñ Fewer accidents or serious incidents due to parachuting
operations
Safety Performance Indicator
Ñ Not applicable
38Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
OA10.01 Up-date BCAA guidelines related to parachuting operationsBCAA/OPSBCAA/AAS
MST.004 MID 2015
Objective:To avoid overlapping responsibilities between the aircraft operators and the parachuting clubs and to inform the general aviation community on the existing regulation and to highlight the associated risks.
OA10.02 The application of the articles in European Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 related to parachuting operations will be brought forward BCAA/OPS MST.004 MID 2015
Objective:To launch additional actions related to the activity of parachuting operations in order to increase the safety of this activity to an acceptable level.
OA10.03Development of an Operations Manual by the operators conducting parachute droppings following the requirements stated in the European Regulation (EU) No 965/2012
BCAA/OPS MST.004 Begin 2016
Objective:To verify the correct application of the operators’ procedures conducting parachuting operations.
OA10.04 Verification by the BCAA of the correct application of the requirements in European Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 related to parachuting operations BCAA/OPS MST.004 End 2016
Objective:To reduce the number of accidents and serious incidents due to parachuting operations.
39Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
emerGinG aCtions (ea)This chapter addresses already emerging issues as well as issues that
could potentially emerge in the immediate or near future. Giving con-
siderations to safety issues derived from operations or regulations that
have not been fully deployed, it incorporates a forward-looking ele-
ment in BPAS.
EA01: Unmanned Aerial Systems /Remotely Piloted
Aircraft Systems
Description
The popularity and application of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) – more commonly known
as drones - continues to grow. The use of UAS/RPAS represent an
emerging risk to both commercial and general aviation. The BCAA
therefore needs to provide clear guidance on the applicable regulations
and best practice when using UAS/RPAS either for leisure or aerial work.
ICAO and EASA are addressing future Standards and Recommended
Practices (SARPs) for the use of UAS/RPAS. ICAO established a UAS
study group in 2008 to recommend appropriate SARPs to be applicable
worldwide. Some SARPs in the areas of Annex 7 - Aircraft Nationality and
Registration Marks and Annex 2 - Rules of the Air became applicable in
2012 and ICAO will continue to develop further SARPs for all aspects
of UAS/RPAS operation. EASA has developed a concept of operations
for RPAS and is also working on guidance in the area of certification
of the aircraft and ground station, integration into controlled airspace,
40Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
communication requirements and remote pilot training. In Europe the
Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems group (JARUS)
was established to recommend a single set of technical, safety and
operational requirements in this area. The BCAA is following the de-
velopments in JARUS and contributed to the drafting of the proposals
by commenting the text during public consultation. The BCAA is also
strongly involved in the review of EASA proposals related to future UAS/
RPAS regulations.
The BCAA published a Royal Decree regulating the use of UAS/RPAS in
Belgian airspace for professional purposes (aerial work and air trans-
port). The purpose of this document is to set out the rules of the air, the
rules for registration of UAS/RPAS, the conditions for theoretical and
practical training of remote pilots and the issuing of the remote pilot
license after successful examination and the acceptance of UAS/RPAS
operations in Belgian airspace, based on an operation-oriented and risk
based approach.
The BCAA is aware of the need to continuously advise the public of the
hazards involved in flying these UAS/RPAS devices. The BCAA already
issued guidance to the public highlighting the circumstances when per-
mission is required to fly UAS/RPAS devices and also published a new
webpage for drone users indicating the conditions to fly and offering
templates to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Royal
Decree regulating the use of UAS/RPAS in Belgian airspace.
The BCAA launched several campaigns to inform the public about rec-
reational and professional use of UAS/RPAS and was also present at
different UAS/RPAS conferences and exhibitions.
Objectives
Fewer accidents, serious incidents or occurrences as a result of conflict
between a UAV /RPAS and another aircraft in Belgian airspace
41Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Actions
Action Number
Action title & objective OwnerAlignmentEPAS
Date
EA01.01 Publish the Royal Decree regulating the use of UAS/ RPAS in Belgian airspace BCAA-
MAY 2016
Objective:To set out the rules of the air, the rules for registration of UAS/ RPAS, the conditions for theoretical and practical training of remote pilots and the issuing of the remote pilot license after successful examination and the acceptance of UAS/ RPAS operations in Belgian airspace.
EA01.02Participate in the development of an appropriate international regulatory framework to govern the operation of UAS /RPAS
BCAA - Continuous
Objective:To govern the operation of UAS /RPAS in order to remove restrictions on these kind of operations at EU level, so that all companies can make best use of these technologies to create jobs and growth while maintaining a high and uniform level of safety.
EA01.03Provide guidance to the public, to raise public awareness of the circumstances when permission is required to fly UAS /RPAS devices
BCAA - Continuous
Objective:To continuously advise the public of the hazards involved in flying UAS /RPAS devices
EA01.04 Establish an active follow up of UAS /RPAS occurrence reports BCAA - Continuous
Objective:To determine the most important safety risks applicable to UAS /RPAS devices, to detect safety issues and to develop further guidance and regulations based on lessons learned.
EA01.05Starting up a collaboration with the ANSP, the Federal Police and the BCAA for handling violations with UAS /RPAS devices
BCAA/SAF - MID 2017
Objective:To improve the cooperation between the ANSP, the Federal Police and the BCAA to develop, review and assess the procedures to follow in the case of violations with UAS /RPAS devices.
42Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Appendix A: ANS Safety Performance
1. eu-wide safety performanCe indiCators
As required in 2011 by European Regulations, the Belgian State and its
National Air Navigation Service Provider (Belgocontrol) are subject to
the monitoring and reporting of their yearly safety performance. Since
2015, the monitored safety key performance indicators (KPIs) are sub-
ject to targets to be reached by 2019 at the latest. This implies constant
efforts to ensure a high level of safety performance in line with the ob-
jectives of the Single European Sky.
The measurement of the safety performance is based on three KPIs
applying to both State and service providers:
Ñ KPI#1 is the Effectiveness of Safety Management (EoSM).
Through questionnaires, this KPI measures the level of
implementation of following management objectives:
- Safety policy and objectives;
- Safety risk management;
- Safety assurance;
- Safety promotion;
- Safety Culture.
Ñ KPI#2 is the application of the severity classification. Based
on the use of the Risk Analysis Tool (RAT) methodology, this
KPI allows a standardized method to assess the severity and
repeatability of the following occurrences:
- Separation Minima Infringements (SMI);
- Runway Incursions (RI);
43Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
- ATM-specific occurrences at all Air Traffic Control -
Centers and at airports (ATM SO).
Ñ KPI#3 is the Just Culture.
Through questionnaires, this KPI measures the level of
presence and corresponding level of absence of Just
Culture. Just Culture means a culture in which front line
operators or others are not punished for actions, omissions
or decisions taken by them that are commensurate with
their experience and training, but where gross negligence,
willful violations and destructive acts are not tolerated.
The Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety (BPAS) provides an overview of the
current situation. The BPAS shall be updated annually to provide histor-
ical data and general actions to maintain or improve the Belgian safety
performance.
44Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
2. safety performanCe 2015
a) KPI#1 – Effectiveness of Safety Management (EoSM)
For the fourth year of measurement, the effectiveness of safety man-
agement has been assessed following the methodology defined by the
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Two online surveys were an-
swered identifying for each safety management objective, the level of
implementation characterizing the performance of the respective state
competent authority and air navigation service provider(s).
EFFECTIVENESS LEVELS AND EFFECTIVENESS SCORE
When answering the questions, one of the following levels of imple-
mentation had to be selected:
Ñ Level A which is defined as “Initiating”, meaning that processes
are usually ad hoc and chaotic;
Ñ Level B which is defined as “Planning/Initial Implementation”,
means that activities, processes and services are managed;
Ñ Level C which is defined as “Implementing” means that
defined and standard processes are used for managing;
Ñ Level D which is defined as “Managing & Measuring” means
that objectives are used to manage processes and that
performance is measured; and
Ñ Level E which is defined as “Continuous Improvement’
means continuous improvement of processes and process
performance.
Additional information can be found at:
http://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/agency-decisions/
ed-decision-2014035r
45Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Based on the answers, the following scores have been derived:
KPI#1 – State:
In 2014, the average effectiveness score achieved by the individual
European States was 62%.
For 2014, the Belgian CAA and BSA-ANS obtained an overall effec-
tiveness score of 64,06% and for 2015, the score is now 68,84%. An
improvement of nearly 5% as compared to the previous year that keeps
Belgium within the top amongst the 30 States subject to the European
performance scheme.
The following figure shows the 2014 EoSM scores for all Member States.
(Source PRB).
46Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
The score obtained by the Belgian State in 2012 (61,82%) was set as
the baseline for the following years and an action plan linked with the
FABEC performance plan aims at improving the effectiveness of our
safety management.
Even if the percentage scores can be used to highlight the relative po-
sition in comparison with the European average and other states, the
European Commission has set targets to be reached at individual ques-
tion levels. By the end of 2019 at the latest, the level C shall be reached
in all the 36 study areas.
The current 2015 survey shows that Belgium already reached the targets
set at European level for 32 out of the 36 study areas. For 26 of them,
the Belgian State even reached a score above the required targets.
Some improvements have been achieved in the following domains:
Ñ Safety performance of service providers and State Safety Plan;
Ñ Compliance verification processes and oversight;
Ñ Implementation of a Just Culture climate, and;
Ñ Risk based oversight.
Some efforts remain to be done to:
Ñ Align some national regulations with the European regulatory
framework, especially on Aerodrome Flight Information
Service (AFIS);
Ñ Manage more effectively internal interfaces within the
competent authority;
Ñ Develop and measure a safety culture.
47Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
KPI#1 – ANSP (Belgocontrol):
In 2014, the average effectiveness score achieved by the individual
European Air Navigation Service Providers was 76%.
For 2014, Belgocontrol obtained an overall effectiveness score of
72,49% and for 2015, the score is now 76,26%. The Belgian Air Navigation
Service Provider is slightly above the average. It should be noted that
the higher the maturity, the more difficult it is to improve the scores.
Nevertheless, targets have been set and continuous improvement is ex-
pected for the following years.
The following figure shows 2014 EoSM scores for all Air Navigation
Service Providers. (Source PRB).
As for the State, the percentage score of Belgocontrol can be used to
highlight their relative position in comparison with the European aver-
age and the other service providers. For the different organizations, the
European Commission has also set targets to be reached at individual
48Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
question levels. By the end of 2019 at the latest, the level C shall be
reached in all the study areas related to safety culture (3 questions) and
the level D for the remaining 23 questions.
In 2015, Belgocontrol reached the level C for 7 of the 26 questions,
12 are at level D and 7 at the highest level E. As compared to the 2014
figures, it shows an improvement in the highest level considered as a
continuous improvement. The targets as set by the European Regulation
require a level D at least in all objectives by 2019, except for the safe-
ty culture where a level C is required. The safety culture target being
already reached, the current situation of Belgocontrol provides confi-
dence in achieving the remaining objectives.
As required by regulations, a verification of the answers provided by the
service provider is mandatory. The BSA-ANS made a formal verification
and no safety critical elements weaknesses were identified during the
verification of the questionnaires.
The highest possible scores are reached for:
Ñ the safety management system documentation;
Ñ the independence of safety management of the line
management;
Ñ the safety standards and procedure documentation;
Ñ the implication of the staff in the safety management;
Ñ the staff and contractor’s safety competency;
Ñ the risk management processes;
Ñ the routine publication of safety levels.
Some improvements are expected:
Ñ to go beyond compliance;
Ñ to develop further contingency and emergency procedure;
Ñ to develop the management of external interfaces;
Ñ to develop safety information sharing with industry
stakeholders, and;
Ñ to gather information on operational safety and
safety management system best practices from the industry.
49Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
b) KPI#2 – Risk Analysis Tool (RAT)
The Risk Analysis Tool is a web-based application allowing the assess-
ment of the severity of safety related occurrences. The application of
the severity classification based on the tool methodology is measured
on the individual occurrence basis with a “yes/no” value. This is done for
all separation minima infringements (SMIs), runway incursions (RIs) and
ATM Specific Technical Occurrences at ATS Centers and airports as-
sessed as “serious incidents”, “major incidents” or “significant incidents”.
The RAT methodology allows a report of an “Overall” score composed
of the ATM (Air Traffic Management) ground and the ATM airborne part.
The ATM ground being the extent to which ATM Ground’s actions con-
tributed to the occurrence and the ATM airborne being the extent to
which pilot’s actions contributed to the occurrence.
This indicator was expressed in terms of the percentage (%) of occur-
rences for which severity has been assessed using the RAT methodology.
More information can be found on:
http://www.skybrary.aero/bookshelf/books/3276.pdf
KPI 2 – State (RAT Overall score)
As required the State should establish arrangement to collect and re-
port the overall score. In 2012, the BSA-ANS initiated a complete review
of the safety data collection and reporting process and has developed
new processes in coordination with the BCAA Management System
Unit and the BCAA Aviation Safety Inspectorate to improve data quality.
The Risk Analysis Tool Methodology is implemented since 2013 and is
continuously improving.
As compared to the 2012 figures, the percentage of use of the meth-
odology shows very significant changes with a range from 0% in 2012
to 100% for all required occurrences types in 2014, providing evidences
of all the efforts made to improve the data quality in the occurrences
assessments.
50Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
From 2015 and onwards, collaboration between the BCAA, BSA-ANS
and Air Navigation Service Providers will continue to ensure data shar-
ing and open publication. Safety meetings are organized on a monthly
basis to determine the overall score for the required safety occurrence
(see tables for overall percentage scores).
KPI 2 – Belgocontrol (RAT Ground score)
The implementation of the RAT (Risk Analysis Tool) at Belgocontrol
continued to progress to reach 100% by the end of 2014 as defined in
the FABEC Performance Plan. The tool is now fully implemented for the
assessment of all required types of occurrences.
In 2014, the Annual Summary Template as verified by the BSA-ANS re-
ported the following figures:
Ñ For SMI, 45 occurrences have been reported from which
100% have been assessed by Belgocontrol using the RAT for
their identified impact on the ATM ground provision;
Ñ For RIs, 44 occurrences have been reported from which
100% have been assessed by Belgocontrol using the RAT for
their identified impact on the ATM ground provision;
Ñ For ATM Specific Technical Occurrences, 115 occurrences
have been reported from which 100% have been assessed by
Belgocontrol using the RAT.
Following investigations and publication requirements, the 2015 figures
will be available in April 2016.
The following figure shows the percentage of use of the RAT as com-
pared to the reported occurrences from 2012 to 2015.
Reported Assessed Reported Assessed Reported Assessed Reported Assessed
ATM GROUND 58% 71% 100% N/AATM OVERALL 0% 31% 100% N/AATM GROUND 33% 100% 100% N/AATM OVERALL 0% 100% 100% N/A
N/A
Application of the severity classifiaction of the Risk Analysis Tool
N/A
N/A
N/A100% 100% 100%
9
78
45
13
107
45
44
115
Separation Minima Infringements (SMIs)
Runway Incursions(RIs)
ATM Specific Technical Occurrences (ATM-STOs) ATM OVERALL
2012 2013 2014 2015
52
51Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
The European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2014/132 sets
Union-wide performance targets applicable for the KPI#2. By the end
of 2017, 80% of the ATM Ground and ATM overall for the required oc-
currences shall be assessed by the RAT and by the end of 2019, the
targets are set at 100%.
Looking at the 2014 figures, the targets as set for 2019 are already met.
The requirement for a 100% assessment maintains the challenge of
collecting safety data, manage investigation and reporting processes,
keeping pressure on the effectiveness of safety occurrences manage-
ment at all levels.
c) KPI#3 – Just Culture
The Just Culture KPI aims at measuring the level of presence and cor-
responding level of absence of Just Culture at State and at ANSP level.
The metrics have been constructed to respond to the criteria of: clearly
defined, auditable, verifiable, repeatable and indicative of the level of
Just Culture being implemented. The just culture KPI consists of met-
rics in the areas of “policy and its implementation”, “legal/judiciary” and
“occurrence reporting and investigation”.
The main aim of the indicator and of the questionnaires is to identi-
fy possible obstacles and impediments to the application of the Just
Culture (JC).
The questionnaires submitted identify several elements related to an
effective just culture, each element in turn with a number of sub-ele-
ments. These sub-elements are binary, i.e. the answer can only be “yes”
or “no”. The States and ANSPs may qualify the “no” answers in their
52Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
respective completed questionnaire by indicating the related obstacles.
A positive reply gives an indication of a just culture context while a
negative reply indicates a potential deficit/obstacles in just culture im-
plementation. However, it is not expected that all replies should be
positive but the identification of negative elements would give indication
of possible areas of improvement and could be considered as incen-
tives for improving the just culture in a particular State/organization.
KPI#3 – Just Culture (State + ANSP)
The following table shows the 2014 and 2015 results:
Belgium State 2014 2015YES NO YES NO
Policy and its implementation 3 6 8 1Legal/Judiciary 2 5 5 2Occurrence reporting and Investigation 2 0 2 0
TOTAL 7 11 15 3
The year 2015 identified several remarkable changes in the answers pro-
vided by the Belgian State. First of all, the publication of the European
Regulation (EU)376/2014 on occurrences reporting implied new re-
quirements directly linked with the Just Culture implementation. In
addition, the BCAA Management System Unit and the BSA-ANS devel-
oped a process to assess the acceptability of certain human behavior in
the framework of the Just Culture. Additional actions are expected in
2016 to include Just Culture elements in the Belgian State Safety Policy.
KPI#3 – Just Culture Belgocontrol
The following table shows the 2014 and 2015 results:
Belgocontrol 2014 2015YES NO YES NO
Policy and its implementation 10 3 7 6Legal/Judiciary 2 1 2 1Occurrence reporting and Investigation 4 4 4 4
TOTAL 16 8 13 11
53Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
As stated above, the counting of positive or negative answers does not
provide a clear identification of the obstacles or deficiencies in the im-
plementation of a Just Culture climate. The noticeable reduction of 3
positive answers in 2015 is linked with specific training requirements on
Just Culture. This is mainly due to a stricter approach of Belgocontrol
on the specificity of dedicated training requirements. Belgocontrol
considering that Just Culture courses should be extended to more than
initial training, actions are in progress to address continuation training
too. Review of such courses should be completed in 2016. In addition,
the FABEC performance plan has set targets on specific training mod-
ules for all ANSPs to be developed in collaboration with their respective
competent authorities.
Additional information on all KPIs can be found at:
http://www.eurocontrol.int/prudata/dashboard/pp_view_2014.html
d) FABEC RP1 Objectives and RP2 Targets
Progressing with the establishment of the Single European Sky, the 6
FABEC States (Belgium; France; Germany; Luxembourg; The Netherlands
and Switzerland) have published for the second time a common perfor-
mance plan covering the second reference period (2015-2019).
The first performance plan (2012-2014) required only a safety per-
formance monitoring and reporting from States and ANSPs and set 5
objectives to be reached by the end of 2014.
Those objectives were addressing:
Ñ a determined level to be achieved in safety maturity for both
States and ANSPs;
Ñ the implementation of the Risk Analysis Tool;
Ñ the evaluation of added values of automated reporting
systems and;
Ñ a common understanding of safety performance related
definitions and processes.
54Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
The safety maturity has improved according the objective. The RAT is
now implemented in all ANSPs and is also implemented in the BCAA
to determine the overall severity of each related safety occurrence.
The only objective not being reached was the evaluation of automated
safety reporting system. This evaluation was not completed due to re-
ducing the ANSP budgets.
For the second reference period, targets have been set at EU-wide level
and at local level (national of FABEC).
EU-wide targets have been set on the two first KPIs (EoSM and RAT):
Ñ EoSM ANSPs: all ANSPs shall reach the level C in the safety
culture management objective and level D in all remaining
management objectives by the end of 2019;
Ñ EoSM States: all States shall reach the level C in all management
objectives by the end of 2019;
Ñ The RAT shall be used by the end of 2019 for 100% of all the
mandatory safety occurrences for the determination of the
ground value and for 80% for the determination of the overall
value (ground + airborne evaluation).
At FABEC level, with a distribution at national level, specific targets have
been set on the third KPI (Just Culture):
Ñ There will be an explicit Just Culture policy in all 7 FABEC
ANSPs formally endorsed by their respective management
and staff representatives and made public.
Ñ The 7 FABEC ANSPs will ensure that Subject Matter Experts are
involved in the determination of “unacceptable behaviour”.
Ñ In the case of self-reported occurrences, Just Culture policy
will ensure fair treatment of the reporter in accordance with
the principles of the Just Culture.
Ñ The 7 FABEC ANSPs will provide legal support for its own
staff in case of prosecution / legal action related to a safety
occurrence.
Ñ The 7 FABEC ANSPs will establish a well-known stress
management system.
55Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Ñ The 7 FABEC ANSPs will ensure that actions are taken in
respect to staff after an occurrence to preserve in full the pay
and benefits of the staff member concerned until the end of
the investigation.
Ñ The ANSPs will ensure that relevant staff working in the
ANSP is trained on Just Culture elements. For that purpose,
the ANSPs will prepare with the NSAs the modules and the
training courses on Just culture in order to deliver as soon
as possible to the staff this training and to have a common
FABEC approach on Just Culture promotion.
Conclusions
For the second time, safety performance was assessed on defined key
performance indicators. The first reference period covering 2012 till
2014 should be considered as a test phase for the following reference
periods.
The current safety performance for both the Belgian State and
Belgocontrol shall be considered as very good. Improvements are al-
ways possible and willingness is visible on both sides to works towards
excellence.
Both the State and Belgocontrol will be ready for the second reference
period that will cover 5 years (2015 – 2019). During this period, targets
are defined at an EU-wide and national level and further performance
improvements are expected.
56Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Appendix B: Acronyms and definitions
Acronyms
AAIU(Be) Air Accident Investigation Unit (Belgium)
AFIS aerodrome flight information service
ANS air navigation service
ANSP air navigation service provider
ASIL Aviation Safety Information Leaflet
ASR Annual Safety Review
ATC air traffic control
ATCO air traffic controller
ATS air traffic services
ATM SO air traffic management specific occurrences
AW aerial work
BASMG Belgian Aviation Safety Management Group
BASP Belgian Aviation Safety Program
BPAS Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety
BCAA Belgian Civil Aviation Authority
BCAA AAS BCAA Airspace, Airports and Supervision Directorate
BCAA OPS BCAA Operations Directorate
BCAA SAF BCAA Aviation Safety Inspectorate
BCAA S-MAS BCAA Management System Unit
BSA-ANS Belgian Supervising Authority for Air Navigation Services
BAWiHaC Belgian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Committee
CAT commercial air transport
CFIT controlled flight into terrain
EA emerging action
EAFDM European Authorities Coordination Group on Flight Data Monitoring
EAPPRI European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions
EASA European Aviation Safety Agency
EASP European Aviation Safety Program
EC European Commission
ECAST European Commercial Safety Team
57Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
ECCAIRS European Coordination Centre for Aviation Incident Reporting Systems
EGAST European General Aviation Safety Team
EHEST European Helicopter Aviation Safety Team
EPAS European Plan for Aviation Safety
EoSM effectiveness of safety management
ESSI European Strategic Safety Initiative
FABEC Functional Airspace Block Europe Central
FDM flight data monitoring
GA general aviation
GASP Global Aviation Safety Plan
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
JARUS Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems
JC Just Culture
KPI key performance indicators
LOC-I loss of control in flight
LRST local runway safety team
MAC mid-air collision
MST member state
NoA network of analysts
OA operational action
PRB Performance Review Body
RAMP region of aircraft movement and parking
RAT risk analysis tool
RE runway excursion
RI runway incursion
RP reference period
RPAS remotely piloted aircraft systems
SA systemic action
SARPs Standards and Recommended Practices
SMI separation minima infringement
SMICG Safety Management International Collaboration Group
SMS safety management system
SPI safety performance indicator
SPOC single point of contact
SSP State Safety Program
UAS unmanned aerial vehicle systems
58Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Definitions
Aerial work
Aerial Work is an aircraft operation in which an aircraft is used for specialized services such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveying,
observation and patrol, search and rescue or aerial advertisement.
Airspace Infringement
Airspace infringement occurs when an aircraft penetrates an area into which special clearance is required without having such clearance.
Belgian Aviation Safety Program
The Belgian approach to the ICAO requirements of State Safety Programs. It contains an integrated set of regulations and activities to improve
safety within the Belgian State. The
latest version is available at http://mobilit.belgium.be/nl/luchtvaart/belgisch_veiligheidsprogramma/beleid_en_programma (Dutch version) and
http://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/transport_aerien/programme_belge_de_securite/politique_et_programme (French version)
Commercial air transport
Commercial air transport operations involve the transportation of passengers, cargo and mail for remuneration or hire.
59Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) occurs when an airworthy aircraft under the complete control of the pilot is inadvertently flown into terrain,
water, or an obstacle. The pilots are generally unaware of the danger until it is too late.
European Aviation Safety Program
European regional approach to the ICAO requirements of State Safety Programs. It contains an integrated set of regulations and activi-
ties to improve safety within EASA Member States. The latest version is available at http://easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/safety-management/
safety-management-system/sms-europe.
General Aviation
General Aviation means all civil aviation operations other than commercial air transport or an aerial work operation.
Mid-air collision
A mid-air collision (MAC) is an accident where two aircraft come into contact with each other while both are in flight.
Local Runway Safety Team
Local Runway Safety Teams (LRSTs) are aerodrome-centric, multi-organizational groups of experts providing practical suggestions to resolve run-
way incursion causal factors.
60Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Loss of Control In-Flight
Loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) usually occurs because the aircraft enters a flight regime which is outside its normal envelope, usually, but not
always at a high rate, thereby introducing an element of surprise for the flight crew involved.
Occurrences
Any safety-related event which endangers or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person
and includes in particular an accident or serious incident.
Runway excursion
According to the definition provided by ICAO, a runway excursion (RE) is a veer or overrun off the runway surface. Runway excursion events can
happen during take-off or landing.
Runway incursion
A runway Incursion (RI) is defined as ‘any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft vehicle or person on the pro-
tected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft’. (ICAO Doc 4444 - PANS-ATM)
61Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Safety management system
A safety management system (SMS) is a systematic approach to manage safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities,
policies and procedures (ICAO). ICAO through various Annexes to the Chicago Convention has incorporated requirements for service providers in
various domains of aviation to have an SMS.
State Safety Program
According to the ICAO definition, a State Safety Program (SSP) it is an integrated set of regulations and activities aimed at improving safety. ICAO
requires contracting States to implement SSPs.
62Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Appendix C:BCAA Risk Management Process
Process 3: periodic rIskanalysis of occurrences
Process 1 (SPOC):Data collection &
storage in ECCAIRS
Occurrence reports from the
aviation sector
Process 2: monthly BCAASafety Coordinators meetings
for the assessment of occurrences
Prioritize Risk Domains
Evaluation
Risk MitigationActions
Process 4: draw-up and realize theBelgian Plan for Aviation Safety (BPAS)
Action closed Action continues
Aviation Sector & BCAA Directorates
BCAA SafetyCommittee
63Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
Appendix D: BPAS August 2016 Status Report
This document provides the individual details concerning each of the BPAS action items. It includes the latest status of the implementation of each
action until August 2016.
The BPAS August 2016 Status Report is available at :
http://mobilit.belgium.be/nl/luchtvaart/belgisch_veiligheidsprogramma/veiligheidsplan
http://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/transport_aerien/programme_belge_de_securite/plan_de_securite
64Belgian Plan for Aviation Safety 2016 - 2020
info
Belgian Civil Aviation Authority - Headquarters
City Atrium
Vooruitgangstraat / Rue du Progrès 56
1210 Brussel / Bruxelles
Tel: 32-(0)2-277.31.11
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.mobilit.belgium.be
Useful Links
Federal Public Service Mobility and Transports : www.mobilit.belgium.be
ICAO: www.icao.int
EASA: www.easa.eu
Federal Public ServiceMobility and TransportBelgian Civil Aviation Authority