Regulations and Government
NTSB's Graham: Scalable SMS a Must for Smaller Aircraft Ops
NTSB member Michael Graham stressed the importance that all small Part 135 operators adopt SMS, but said the program must be scalable.
NTSB member Michael Graham at ACSF 2023
NTSB member Michael Graham expressed concerns about the recent spate of close calls in aviation and said this highlights why SMS should be fully used. (Photo: Kerry Lynch)

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Michael Graham stressed his belief that there should be no exceptions for size from the FAA’s safety management system (SMS) rulemaking but did say the final regulation must be scalable for small operators. During the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s Safety Symposium on Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Florida, Graham noted that the NTSB has been pushing for the FAA to mandate SMS for Part 135 since 2016, following the Hawker 700A crash in Akron, Ohio.

“The voluntary days are over with. We didn't hit enough people,” he said, adding that about 10 to 12 percent of Part 135 operators have adopted SMS. “We’re talking out of 2,000 operators. You can do the math and that's not many. The time is over. The safety benefits are there. We all need to get there.”

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