Southern Illinois Airport Authority

 

 

Safety Risk Assessment 1 

FAA Part 139 SMS Implementation Study

 

 

 
Table 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 Diagram

Attachment 2 Blind Spot Photos 

Attachment 3 SRA 1 Attendants 
Southern Illinois Airport Safety Risk Assessment 

1.0 Describe the System: 

The Southern Illinois Airport (SIA or Airport) identified six potential aircraft/vehicle/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 represent (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 tenant. 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 

personnel (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 

 

 1
 Table 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 or 

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 45

V Unknown 2 2 0 8 8 20

Pedestrian 10 100 60 0 0 0
Table 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 0
3.0 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 (See 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 and 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 including 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 aircraft

PED to ALL

 4 
4.0 Assess and Analyze Risk: 

Table 4 Blind Spot #2 Risk Analysis 

Event Likelihood Likelihood

Classification Severity SeverityClassification

Risk

Ranking

V

to

V

One accident in the last year and many 

“close calls” warrant a Probable rating.

Probable

An accident could result in minor

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 damage 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 

control 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 vehicle or aircraft has never injured a 

pedestrian at this airport.

Extremely 

Improbable Injury or death to personnel. Catastrophic Medium/High

 

 5 
Table 5 Blind Spot #3 Risk Analysis 

Event Likelihood Likelihood

Classification

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

Individuals 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 catastrophic. 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

 6 
5.0 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 driver 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 throughout 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) 

 7
6.0 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 

6 5 

Attachment 1 SIA SRA No. 1 Blind Spots 
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