PFRAT

Personal Flight Risk Assessment Tool - The Mobile App to Prevent Accidents

Want to prevent accidents? An analysis of most human error accidents shows that they were avoidable if only the risks involved had been adequately evaluated. Most humans understand individual risks, but very few are able to understand the cumulative effect when several risk factors are present simultaneously. While there are several Risk Assessment tools available, they are all based on MS Excel or similar applications and require a computer to complete them. However, there are very few pilots and aviation sector workers, who can use their computers in the field, on airport platforms or heliports, especially in general aviation, airport operations and helicopter operations. Even if they have a laptop, they are often limited by space, Internet connectivity or other such limitations.

This application will allow any aviation worker to carry out a risk assessment (RA), without an internet connection, on their mobile phone, in less than 10 minutes, and receive an evaluation of how the cumulative effect of risk factors is likely to impact the flight. The RA will be saved locally and emailed to the registered user when the device connects to a Wi-Fi network or other mobile network. The fixed wing risk assessments used in this application is as recommended by the FAA in AC 120-92 and InFO 07015. For helicopters, RA is as recommended by the Helicopter Association International (HAI). Each RA has 35 questions in 5 categories. Premium users can customize these questions and categories to the specific risks based on the type of operation or a company risk register.

The application has additional features to publish the RA in the social network, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Google Plus and also send a copy by email to other company officials, such as Director of Operations, etc. At this time, there is no risk assessment application that provides these additional features.

In phase one, the app is available only in English and carries three pre-loaded risk assessments - for pilots of scheduled airlines, General Aviation operations and Helicopter operations. In the second phase, in addition to the languages options, risk assessments will be added for technicians, ground personnel, cabin crew, etc., taking a culture of risk assessments to the root of all aviation activities and reinforcing Safety in aviation operations. The intention is to make a risk assessment so simple and easy to carry out that it becomes a fashion and motivates more and more employees in the aviation sector to carry it out, thus reducing the likelihood of a disaster.

After all, ICAO defines safety as ‘... a continuous process of Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation’.