(a)   When was the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s General Aviation Operations Group Decision Assistance Risk Tool implemented; and (b) how is the tool used.

(a)   The Decision Assisting Tool (DAT) has not yet been implemented operationally in General Aviation Operations Group (GAOG). A trial was conducted during 2006 to determine if the proposed tool had applicability for General Aviation purposes. The results of the trial have been reported to GAOG senior management and are being assessed.

(b)   The tool examines only three sources of a wide range of data CASA takes into account when forming an opinion about an air operator. The three sources are:

   The significant number of reports in each category has encouraged CASA to examine ways of automatically scanning the data submitted to determine if particular operators might be showing any adverse tendencies.

   The tool is used to draw CASA’s attention to possible problem areas with particular operators. It does not analyse all aspects CASA takes into consideration when examining an operator’s safety performance nor is the output an absolute indication that problems exist. The tool’s output cannot therefore be used to give an overall inference that an operator presents a high risk.

   A high score, either overall or for a particular reported area, prompts inspectors to examine the events driving that score to determine if a problem exists. This approach is necessary because some reports, although tagged to an operator, may actually be the result of some external factor. If the determination is made that a problem exists, then targeted actions can be initiated.