CALLBACK Masthead

Number 293
February 2004
 
A Monthly Safety Bulletin from The Office of the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System
P.O. Box 189, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0189

Award Winning Lessons

ASRS Awards in MarqueeA certain percentage of the reports submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System deal with inadvertent mistakes. While the related error analysis provides valuable material for the "Don't do it this way" school of aviation safety, ASRS also receives many reports that deal with the positive aspects of aviation mishaps. In the following incidents, various abnormal situations were handled with noteworthy competence and skill. All of the aviation professionals involved are to be commended for their contributions to the "Do it this way" school of aviation safety.

These reports were selected as the best examples among recent incidents that document the value of communication, teamwork, and training when things go wrong.

And the Winners Are...Captain Oscar Award

Best Performance in a Supporting "Role"

Being well prepared for their roles enabled this B757 cabin crew to make a major contribution to the success of a dramatic flight despite the foul and noxious setting.

(The fumes came from an overheated wire bundle that supplied current to the L2 cockpit window for in-flight heating. Apparently the circuit breakers had not opened to cut the current from the errant power source. —Ed.)

Best Performance in a Takeoff "Role"Captain Oscar Award

The Captain of this B767 may have had the leading role, but the "behind the scenes" efforts of the controllers and flight attendants deserve equal praise in the smooth handling of this incident.

Best Performance Based on Audience Reaction

Captain Oscar AwardThe professionalism of the entire crew of this B767 ensured that the passengers remained calm and confident all the way to the end of a rather lengthy production.

Captain Oscar AwardBest Performance in a Medical Drama

The combined efforts of an MD88 crew and Air Traffic Controllers demonstrated how conscientious rehearsals lead to great performances under pressure.

Best Solo Performance

Captain Oscar AwardThe brilliant performance of this C206 pilot was enhanced by the superb direction of equally talented controllers.

Best Short Subject

Captain Oscar AwardThis flight crew's swift and decisive performance was right on the mark. The First Officer's screenplay wasn't bad either.

Sustained Achievement Award

Mechanic Oscar AwardEvery day the vast majority of flights are conducted without any significant airframe, engine, or equipment malfunctions. Given the complexity of modern aircraft, and often tightly scheduled utilization, this record of availability and reliability is a testament to the dedication, skill, and often overlooked efforts of maintenance technicians. ASRS is proud to acknowledge the backstage maintenance heroes for their tireless efforts to "keep 'em flying."



ASRS Recently Issued Alerts On...
Prisoner transport incident
BD700 oxygen supply hose failures
MD80 escape slide deployment failure
Hughes 500C door latch and hinge failure
Eastern U.S. airport taxiway signage deficiency
January 2004 Report Intake
 Air Carrier/Air Taxi Pilots
1,902
 General Aviation Pilots
549
 Controllers
27
 Cabin/Mechanics/Military/Other
144
 TOTAL
2,622
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