1. Flight Operational Quality Assurance
(FOQA) Program
A Joint Comair/ALPA Publication U pdate January 2011
Aircraft Flight Data Monitoring FDR data will allow
FOQA analysts to
Arrives at Comair identify threats such as:
Comair in pa
partnership with the FAA and union leaders have taken a leap 1. Airports where unstabilized
approaches are common
forward in s
rd safety trend analysis by implementing its own Flight Operational
C
Quality As
ality Assurance Program (FOQA). 2. Conditions leading
to lengthy flares and
FOQA gives Comair the ability to are trained to. But sometimes the touchdowns
on
analyze information from aircraft performance of the aircraft does 3. Flap extension speeds
flight data recorders to look for not match these standards. ALPA
trends that create a safety threat Safety Committee gatekeepers 4. Occurrence of GPWS
to the safe operation of the airline are not the pilot police searching events
and quantify known threats. To for the “bad apple” pilot. Instead, 5. Conditions where engines
accomplish this, a detailed plan for gatekeepers are more like detec- operate near limitations
fid
how to handle this data has been tives searching for FDR data clues
signed between ALPA, the FAA that will help identify a bad system 6. Specific airport approaches
and company managers to insure that lead to a high number
this FDR FOQA data is not used to of go-arounds
identify and discipline pilots. 7. Turbulence and wake
“Having routine downloads turbulence events
en
Only ALPA Central Air Safety of this data is of enormous 8. Rate and amount of
Committee “gatekeeper” members
will be allowed access to aircraft benefit to safety analysts rotation at takeoff
flight numbers, dates, times or because it allows them to find
city pairs that could be used to
identify individual crew members unknown threats. Currently, Not every second of every flight at
tia
Comair will be monitored, but the goal
tied to a specific FDR event. The data is only downloaded if of the program is to collect and analyze
gatekeeper occasionally may call
a pilot to gather more information there is a known safety event.” as much data as possible. The FDR on
about a specific flight. The goal is the CRJ 50 is capable of recording 536
to find out the why behind the data different parameters from each flight.
not to lecture individual pilots. We or procedure in need of change at The CRJ 70/90 can track 546 parame-
l
realize that our flight crews are Comair. FOQA programs always ters. The CRJ 50 FDR records 50 hours
well trained and always strive to bring to light common problems of data and the CRJ 70/90 records
fly to the standards to which they being made by multiple flight crews. 250 hours. This data is downloaded by
Addressing these problems is the maintenance technicians on a routine
goal of the program. It is designed basis. Comair already has the ability
to improve operating procedures to selectively download this data. The
INSIDE… and systems. When FOQA is used
in conjunction with ASAP a better
FOQA program makes the download-
ing and analyzing of this data routine.
Having routine downloads of this data is
overall picture of our operation is
1 Aircraft Flight Data revealed. The information gathered of enormous benefit to safety analysts
Monitoring Arrives at Comair from these programs, both good because it allows them to find unknown
and bad, is used to improve our threats. Currently, data is only download-
4 Flight Operational Quality training and procedures. It does not Please see FOQA PROGRAM
Assurance Program (FOQA) FAQs seek out individual pilots. page 2

2. Above is a spreadsheet that examines more than 500 parameters from each aircraft’s flight data recorder then these parameters can be
C
plotted on a graph as they occur in UTC time. This is flight data monitoring. The software can be programmed to analyze trends and look for
specific events and flag them such as unstabilized approaches, flap overspeeds or other limitation exceedences.
on
FOQA PROGRAM the trust of all pilots. Big Brother
Continued from page 1 No FOQA safety program is watching each flight for unusual
aircraft performance and operation
ed if there is a known safety related can be successful without issues; however, he doesn’t know
event. FOQA Analysts can combine the participation of the who is generating this data. Fur-
different parameters to track an thermore, FOQA data is protected
fid
almost unlimited number of different pilots and the willingness under the provisions of FAR 13.401,
flight and operational issues.
of management to and FAR part 139 that specifically
This program is already in place at protect FOQA data from being used
most U.S. airlines and, like ASAP, it understand just culture. by the FAA for pilot enforcement
is a voluntary safety reporting pro- action.
gram built on trust that is reinforced regional and mainline carriers when
en
When a gatekeeper wants to find
by a detailed plan of how this data writing their implementation and out why there are problems with a
is tracked and analyzed. Comair operation plan. The anonymity of the
managers and union leaders studied data is the cornerstone of the pro- Please see FOQA PROGRAM
other successful FOQA programs at gram and is essential in maintaining page 3
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l
A CRJ 900 turns base to final for Runway 7 in JAX beginning an unstabilized approach. The aircraft’s flight path is recreated using GPS co-
ordinates from the FDR and can be superimposed over an approach plate’s map view. Flightscape animation software shows the view of the
approach from the flightdeck and outside the aircraft.
2 A JOINT COMAIR/ALPA PUBLICATION

3. FOQA Program
Continued from page 2
specific airport approach or comply-
ing with a limitation, a crew may
be contacted. But this call is only
to help the gatekeeper learn why
certain events are commonplace,
not to discipline or lecture the
pilot. The FDR data and the FOQA
computer software tracks, charts
and analyzes the data. Additional
software that looks like an advanced
version of Microsoft’s Flight Simu-
lator program is used to animate
FDR events. It displays the posi-
tion of the flight controls and shows
indications on the PFD, MFD and
C
EICAS displays. The course of the
aircraft can be superimposed over
a three dimensional Google Earth
map to trace the aircraft’s flight
on
path through space, touchdown
point and taxi path to the gate. The
data provides the What, Where and
Aircraft ground tracks can be traced over Google Earth maps. This map depicts aircraft
When of any event. But all of this
ground tracks departing JFK on the Kennedy One Departure with the Carnarsie Climb off
animation and data is useless until Runway 33L. The CRI VOR has a .5 and 1.0 nautical mile ring to show the ground track used
a gatekeeper pilot can discover the
fid
to intercept the 176-degree CRI radial.
How and the Why from the pilot who
was there.
No FOQA safety program can be
successful without the participation
of the pilots and the willingness of
en
management to understand just cul-
ture. All of us as pilots strive for the
perfect flight. When things go wrong
we must look at the underlying
causes that created the opportunity
for unsafe conditions.
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ALPA Central
Air Safety Committee
l
FOQA Gatekeepers
Capt. Chris Obertin
Cell. 859-322-4276
Chris.Obertin@alpa.org
FO Dave Westrich
Cell. 859-380-9938
Dave.Westrich@alpa.org
Aircraft ground tracks in this illustration show Comair crew’s are turning early enough to
avoid the P56 Prohibited Area and staying on the west side of the Potomac River when
departing Runway 1 in DCA.
FOQA PROGRAM NOVEMBER 2010 3

4. FOQA FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions on
If an event is witnessed by the FAA or
company representative no additional
evidence to support a violation or in-
Flight Operational Quality Assurance fraction would be required. The FAA or
line check airman have the authority to
address any issues observed with crew
Review Committee. Events discovered members without using FOQA data.
What is FOQA data?
in FOQA will not be included in ASAP. A
FOQA data is data that has been If the FAA or a check
pilot may, on rare occasions, be asked to airmen discover a pilot
recorded on the Flight Data Recorder describe the circumstances that led to a
(FDR) or Digital Flight Data Recorder deviation through a FOQA
FOQA event, but they will not be asked to analysis report, can the
(DFDR) and transferred to the Ground fill out an ASAP report.
Data Replay and Analysis System
FDR data be used as
Can the cockpit voice evidence of the event?
(GDRAS), and for the purpose of expla-
nation will now be called FOQA data. recorder be downloaded Neither the FAA nor the company has
and saved in the FOQA access to identified FOQA data. FAR
What happens if a program? part 193 and FAR 13.401 protect FOQA
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limitation is exceeded? data from being used in an investigation
NO. section 25 of our Collective Bargain-
If FOQA data is reviewed and an ex- ing Agreement limits what the company to support a possible pilot deviation.
ceedance is observed then an investiga-ga- can do with recorded data. CVR informa-
tion will not be initiated. However, call
all
If the FAA hears of a
tion will never be used in FOQA.
on
possible pilot course and
from a Gatekeeper may be initiated to
ed
What happens if a gate altitude deviations can the
find out how or why the exceedanceance
keeper discovers a crew FDR data be used as
occurred.
operated a flight recklessly? evidence of the event?
Can the Company or t
y the Neither FOQA or ASAP will be able to The FAA would have access to ATC
FAA use FOQA data for an protect a pilot that exhibits an intentional radar plots to support their investiga-
investigation?
?
fid
disregard to safety by deliberately oper- tion. No access to FOQA data would be
No. However, if an event such as an
vent suc ating an aircraft in an unsafe manner. The required. FAR part 193 and FAR 13.401
unstableized approach , go-around or
oach go FOQA gatekeeper is under no obligation protect FOQA data from being used in
aborted take-off is observed by another
observ to report possible FAR violations. an investigation to support a possible
crew, ATC, passenger etc., then the
ssenger et pilot deviation.
company and the FAA have their normal
d
If it is discovered through
FOQA that an aircraft How is FDR data treated if
en
procedures to access the FDR or DFDR
s
exceeded a limitation and there is an aircraft
as usual. Furthermore, just because
. Furthermo
must be inspected, how incident or accident?
date is in the FOQA program, does not
s FOQ
does the flight remain In the event of an accident or incident
exclude the date from being sought out
ude anonymous? any FDR or DFDR data not in the FOQA
through normal procedures by both the
rough norma
Maintenance would get only the ship database is available and identifiable.
company or the FAA.
t
number and limitation exceeded to inspect
tia
How are FOQA and How much FOQA data can
from the Gatekeeper. No date, time, or the FAA and Comair
ASA
ASAP different? flight number would be released. management see and how
FOQA and ASAP are both voluntary
a is this information de-
If the company is
report
reporting programs established by the immediately alerted to a identified?
FAA that collect safety data to be ana- significant flight safety Both are permitted free and open access
l
lyzed that is protected by FAR part 139
lyze event by passengers or the to de-identified aggregate FOQA data,
and their respective Letter of Agreement
an FAA, is that FDR data including fleet – specific trend analysis
and Memorandum of Understanding. considered confidential information. This will include a quarterly
However, FOQA relies on data collected FOQA data? update of FOQA trend information. Any
from the aircraft’s FDR. ASAP relies on No. This data, if the event is discovered FOQA data or information shared with
data collected from pilot descriptions of outside of the FOQA program, is not a the FAA shall be protected from use by
an event written as a narrative on the part of FOQA and is not afforded the pro- the FAA for enforcement purposes in ac-
computer ASAP reporting form. tection of FAR part 193, or FAR 13.401. cordance with 14 C.F.R. section 13.401
Will pilots contacted by If the FAA or a check and shall be protected from public dis-
ALPA gatekeepers be airman is riding the closure in accordance with part 193 and
asked to participate in jumpseat and sees an FAA Order 8000.81. Review of such in-
ASAP? unusual flight safety event formation will be conducted on Comair’s
NO. ASAP and FOQA are two separate can he or she request FDR property. Any and all documentation of
programs. A FOQA gatekeeper is not data be used as evidence such information or data will remain on
a voting member of the ASAP Event of the event? the airline property.
4 A JOINT COMAIR/ALPA PUBLICATION