As the FAA gets ready to implement mandatory safety management systems (SMSs), Canadian authorities are warning SMSs need proper oversight if they're to do their job of improving flight safety. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board cited insufficient oversight of a private operator's SMS in its final report on a landing accident that injured 10 people aboard a Bombardier Global 5000 at Fox Harbour, N.S., two years ago. Transport Canada has required SMS plans for commercial carriers for years but delegated oversight of SMS implementation for some operators to the Canadian Business Aviation Association in 2003. The TSB said in its report that CBAA's implementation of SMS criteria is flawed and Transport Canada failed to recognize that before the Nova Scotia accident. "This is a serious problem," said Kathy Fox, board member for the TSB. "Safety can be compromised when SMS plans are vague, deadlines are flexible, and critical oversight is lacking. Without proper milestones or auditing, SMS cannot function properly and the risks increase." The flawed SMS process is a thread throughout the TSB's findings, which determined the pilots ducked under the standard approach and, because they were used to flying smaller aircraft into the field, misjudged the touchdown and hit the ground seven feet before the pavement.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/sms-oversight-cited-in-canadian-crash