Efficient feedback boosts voluntary ATM incidents reporting

EUROCONTROL’s Voluntary ATM Incident Reporting (EVAIR) Safety Bulletin N^o 10, covering the summers of 2008-2012, contains the compilation and analysis of thousands of ATM occurrence reports.

The analyses were based on more than 6,000 ATM occurrence reports from more than 160 different airlines; besides, over 10,000 TCAS reports with valid resolution advisories were collected automatically from 13 radar stations across Europe. More than 5,000 Call Sign Similarity/Confusion reports were provided by 12 air navigation service providers.

For the summer period 2012 only, about 60 different airlines submitted their ATM occurrence reports to EVAIR. It is very important to highlight that the airlines who report to EVAIR are responsible for about 70% of ECAC’s overall traffic.

The EVAIR Safety Bulletin provides statistics and makes comparisons with IATA’s Safety Trend Evaluation and Data Exchange System (STEADES) data, providing a global view on ATM safety.

The robustness and quality of its data are cross-checked by comparing the trends with other ATM safety database operators.

In this edition of the bulletin, EVAIR presents the statistics for the main trends for five different types of events and their principal causes:

• runway incursion;
• call sign confusion;
• go-around;
• ACAS Resolution Advisory (AR);
• level busts.

In addition, EVAIR gives an in-depth analysis of events involving Air-Ground Ground Communication, Laser and Loss of Communication.

Feedback – Reporting motivator and support to quick fixes

In terms of occurrence data collection, the trend for the summer periods 2008-2012 shows a rise in the number of reports submitted to EVAIR.

Feedback is the major driving and motivational factor for voluntary reporting. From the very beginning, a feedback mechanism was set up to satisfy both the airlines’ and the air navigation service providers’ requirements.

The rise in the number of reports submitted is an excellent sign, demonstrating that the feedback process has been completed in the best way.

For more information, contact Dragica Stankovic, Safety Expert and EVAIR Function Manager