## Southern Illinois Airport Authority

Safety Risk Assessment 1

FAA Part 139 SMS Implementation StudyTable of Contents

1.0 Describe the System 1

2.0 Identify Hazards 2

3.0 Determine Risk 4

4.0 Assess and Analyze Risk 5

5.0 Treat and Monitor Risk 7

6.0 Residual Risk 8

Attachment 1 Airport Diag ram

Attachment 2 Blind Spot Photos

Attachment 3 SRA 1 AttendantsSouthern Illinois Airport Safety Risk Assessment

1.0 Describe the System:

The So uthern Illinois Airport (SIA or Airport) identified six potential aircraft/v ehicle/pedestrian “ blind

spots ” on the airside portion of the airport (see Attachment 1). As aircraft/vehicles/personnel operate

and/or proceed on the ramp during normal operations, the airport manager is concerned with hazards

these potential blind spots may re present (see Attachment 2)

. The SIA is a general aviation airport

without scheduled, commercial service. However, the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC)

Aviation Flight Program is located on the SIA and serves as the airport’s major tenan t. Aviation flight

Instructors, flight students, support personnel: including SIUC line service and airport support personnel ;

and additional tenants that hangar and operate aircraft throughout the airport, populate the ramp area

and are among the airport ’s major safety stakeholders. The airport manager, in conjunction with the

Safety Management System (SMS) Implementation Project team members (see Attachment 3)

, identified the approximate number of daily aircraft/vehicle/pedestrian operations at all six individual

locations (see Table 1).

Characteristics commonly associated with blind spots 1, 4, 5 and 6 include:

1. Minimal pedestrian activity on the part of SIU personnel, “other” airport tenants, transient individuals

and airport authority personnel

2. Minimal vehicular and aircraft traffic

3. Control tower observance of blind spot 1 is somewhat limited

Characteristics associated with blind spot 2 include:

1. High pedestrian traffic area - the area is populated by SIUC students and staff, airport authority

personnel (security), “other” tenants , and transient individuals

2. Varied vehicle operations including: SIUC vehicles, FBO fuel trucks and airport support vehicles. Blind

spot 2 also maintains a potentially high level of opposite direction aircraft traffic (based on runway

usage)

3. Control tower observance of blind spot 2 is limited

Characteristics associated with blind spot 3 include:

1. High pedestrian traffic area - the area is populated by SIU students and staff, airport authority

p ersonnel (security), “other” tenants, and transient individuals

2. Varied vehicle operations including: SIUC vehicles, FBO fuel trucks and airport support vehicles

3. Potentially high level of opposite direction aircraft traffic (based on runway usage)

4. Majority of SIUC aircraft operations occur in this blind spot area

1Table 1 Daily Operations

Legend:

A/C Taxi = Aircraft involved in autonomous taxi operation

A/C Tow = Aircraft involved in assisted tow operation

V Known = Vehicle involved in a “known” or scheduled operation

V Unknown = Vehicle involved in a necessary, but random operation

Pedestrian = Pedestrian traffic

2.0 Identify Hazards:

All suspected blind spots were examined and it was determined by the airport manager and SMS

implementation team members that all six blind spots represented sight obstruction hazards of varying

degrees to aircraft, vehicles and personnel. It was also determined that while blind spots 1, 4, 5, and 6

require continued observation, low levels of exposure coupled with historically zero accidents o r

incidents, these blind spots represented very little risk. In contrast, significantly higher levels of

exposure, due to a larger number of varied operations, identified blind spots 2 and 3 as hazardous and

requiring additional analysis (see Table 2).

2

Blind Spot 1 2 3 4 5 6

A/C Taxi 5 66 30 0 4 8

A/C Tow 4 46 60 10 0 0

V Known 9 160 82 58 58 4 5

V Unknown 2 2 0 8 8 20

Pedestrian 10 100 60 0 0 0Table 2 Daily Operations for Blind Spots 2 and 3 Highlighted

Legend:

A/C Taxi = Aircraft involved in autonomous taxi operation

A/C Tow = Aircraft involved in assisted tow operation

V Known = Vehicle involved in a “known” or scheduled operation

V Unknown = Vehicle involved in a necessary, but random operation

Pedestrian = Pedestrian traffic

3 Blind Spot 1 2 3 4 5 6

A/C Taxi 5 66 30 0 4 8

A/C Tow 4 46 60 10 0 0

V Known 9 160 82 58 58 45

V Unknown 2 2 0 8 8 20

Pedestrian 10 100 60 0 0 03.0 Determine Risk:

Following extensive discussion between the airport manager and SMS Implementation team members, risk associated with hazards

linked to blind spots # 2 and 3 are listed below (S ee Table 3).

Table 3 Risk Determination

Hazards Main Components Possible Consequences

Vehicle Traffic Tenant vehicles, fuel trucks, line service

trucks, equipment and aircraft tow vehicles Vehicle to Vehicle Collision/Accident

V to V

Vehicle a nd Aircraft Traffic Tenant vehicles, fuel trucks, line service

trucks, equipment and aircraft tow vehicles,

tenant aircraft including SIUC flight training

aircraft Vehicle to Aircraft Collision/Accident

V to A / C

Aircraft Traffic Tenant aircraft includ ing SIUC flight training

aircraft Aircraft to Aircraft Collision/Accident

A / C to A / C

Pedestrian Traffic SIUC flight training personnel, airport

personnel, “Other” tenant personnel Pedestrians could be involved in an accident

involving vehicles or aircr aft

PED to ALL

44.0 Assess and Analyze Risk:

Table 4 Blind Spot #2 Risk Analysis

Event Likelihood Likelihood

Classification Severity Severity

Classification Risk

Ranking

V

to

V One accident in the l ast year and many

“cl ose calls” warrant a Probable rating

. Probable An accident could result in m inor

damage to equipment and minor

discomfort to personnel

. Minor Medium

V

to

AC An accident has never occurred at blind

spot #2. Remote It should be expected that any type

of d amage would result in an A / C

out of service. An accident with an

aging A / C could render it useless. Major Medium

AC

to

AC An A/C to A/C collision has never occurred

at this airport. In addition, most A / C

operations are under the auspices of the

contro l tower , but tower observance is

limited

. Extremely

Improbable An accident of this type would be

considered catastrophic. It would

result in the loss of valuable

equipment resources and possible

personal injury. Catastrophic Medium

/High

PED

to

ALL A vehi cle or aircraft has never injured a

pedestrian at this airport

. Extremely

Improbable Injury or death to personnel. Catastrophic Medium

/High

5Table 5 Blind Spot #3 Risk Analysis

Event Likelihood Likelihood

Classificati on Severity Severity

Classification Risk

Ranking

V

to

V Traffic congestion is significantly less at the

blind spot; greatly reducing exposure. Extremely

Remote An accident could result in minor

damage. Minor Medium

V

to

AC I ndividuals are well trained and familiar

with the environment. Remote An accident may result in major

damage to equipment. Major Medium

AC

to

AC An accident of this type has never occurred

at this airport. Extremely

Improbable An accident of this type would be

considered catast rophic. It would

result in the loss of valuable

equipment resources and possible

personal injury. Catastrophic Medium

/High

PED

to

ALL A vehicle or aircraft has never injured a

pedestrian at this airport. Extremely

Improbable Injury or death to personnel

. Catastrophic Medium

/High

65.0 Treat and Monitor Risk:

In this section of the SRA, the airport manager and SMS Implementation team “brainstormed” and explored mitigation strategies that

would assist in preventing the likelihood hazardous events of this nature would ever be permitted to occur. Risk mitigation strategies

are listed below (see Table 6). Monitoring of risk mitigation implementation strategies shall be conducted through the use of Omni Air

Group’s Incident Reporter tracking software.

Table 6 Listing of Mitigation Strategies

Definitely

Pursue “Look Into” Risk Mitigation Strategies

X ** Vehicle lanes, dedicated driv er lanes

X Signage or enhanced signage including lights for blind spots

X ** Taxi

- lane reconfiguration (flow, layout)

X Flight student orientation (standardized)

X ** Aircraft tie

- down reconfigurations/parking

X Improve and expand communication thr oughout the airport community (link to speed limit enforcement )

X Mandatory driver training for airside (non

- movement)

X Speed limit enforcement, etc. (link with communication)

X Convex mirror installation

X Vehicular lights (amber lights for all airport vehicles)

X Vehicle escort policy

**See Attachments 1 and 2 (ramp diagram and blind spot photos)

76.0 Residual Risk:

Risk is a constant. The mitigation efforts discussed in this SRA only serve to reduce the risk associated

with hazardous SIA blind spot areas. However, coupled with increased vigilance on the part of airport

employees and tenants, the abovementioned mitigation strategies and activities should significantly

curtail risk associated with hazardous SIA blind spot areas. Although it was determined that airport

blind spots 1, 4, 5 and 6 presented little risk, the airport manager shall also pursue implementation of

applicable risk mitigation strategies at those locations.

8

# 1 2 

# 3 4 5 6 SIA SRA No. 1 Blind Spots Attachment 1

# Attachment 2

Blind Spot 1

# Blind Spot 1

# Blind Spot 2

# Blind Spot 2

# Blind Spot 3

# Blind Spot 4

# Blind Spot 4

# Blind Spot 5

# Blind Spot 5

# Blind Spot 6

# Blind Spot 6

### Attachment 3

SIA SRA1 Meeting Attendants

 Mr. Gary Shafer, SIA Manager

 Dr. José R. Ruiz, SIUC - Co -Principal Investigator

 Dr. Bill Caldwell - Co -Principal Investigator

 Ms. Joanne Landry - Consultant and Team Member

 Mr. Dave Fleet - Consultant and Team Member

 Mr. John Voges, SIUC - Team Member

 Mr. Mike Robertson, SIUC - Team Member

 Mr. Matt Romero, SIUC - Graduate Student

 Mr. John Dixon, SIUC - Undergraduate Student