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The SafeSkies website focuses on aviation safety issues that affect Canadians, whether flying as passengers or crew, for pleasure or for work, on wide-body jets or single-engine floatplanes.

It was first created to showcase a landmark event: the Aviation Safety Round Table which convened in 2009 on Parliament Hill. The full proceedings of this event are available on this website, including video/audio and transcripts of all of the presentations.

The shocking revelations that emerged at this event galvanized efforts to scrutinize Transport Canada's performance, and to force the department to step up to its regulatory responsibilities.

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Latest News

Question Period: SMS Oversight Reversal

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Dennis Bevington during Question Period

Following the announcement that Transport Canada would reclaim oversight of the business aviation sector from the CBAA (see Transport Canada Reclaims Authority Over Business Aviation Sector), NDP Transport Critic Dennis Bevington questions Transport Minister Baird about plans for the rest of the industry.    Watch the exchange between Mr. Bevington and John Baird, Minister of Transport that took place on March 18, 2010.   Read more...

Transportation Safety Board Responds to Petition

As many readers will be aware, some of the Objectives in the SafeSkies Mission relate to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB).  It is for this reason the following statement is contained in the Petition for Judicial Inquiry into Aviation Safety:

WHEREAS, the Transportation Safety Board no longer investigates all serious accidents for cause and contributing factors, nor does it make public the results of all investigations, resulting in a loss of valuable safety information.

The Petition was first tabled in the House of Commons on November 19th, 2009.  Although no formal reply has yet been received from Transport Canada or its Minister, the following reply from the TSB was tabled on March 4th, 2010.  It is unfortunate that the TSB does not recognize our concerns as valid.   Read more...

Transport Canada Reclaims Authority Over Business Aviation Sector

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On the same day the Transportation Safety Board launched its new  Watchlist, indentifying Safety Management Systems as a multimodal "Problem", Minister of Transport John Baird announced that Transport Canada would be taking back oversight of the business aviation sector.   Read more...

TSB Puts SMS on New Watchlist

On March 16, 2010, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada announced its new Watchlist to highlight what they consider to be the past recommendations to Transport Canada which most require action.  Among the concerns, Safety Managements Systems was cited as a multi-modal Problem.   Read more...

Fifth Estate: Cougar 491

N.L. chopper's flaw known in 2008

Last Updated: Friday, March 12, 2010
CBC News

CBC's The Fifth Estate has found that the maker of a helicopter that crashed near Newfoundland a year ago, killing 17 people, knew more than six months earlier about the gearbox problem that downed the chopper.

The CBC investigation also revealed that U.S. and Canadian aviation safety organizations knew about the Sikorsky helicopter's flaw in August 2008.   Read more...

Updated: Petition for Judicial Inquiry Tabled in House of Commons

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Peter Julian

On November 19, 2009 MP Peter Julian (NDP) tabled the first batch of signed petitions calling for a judicial inquiry into aviation safety oversight.  Click here for the full text of the petition tabled.

According to the rules of the House of Commons, the government is required to reply to the petition within 45 days of its presentation.  If the petition remains without a response at the expiration of this time, a Committee of the House, designated by the Member presenting the petition, is required to look into the Ministry's failure to respond.   Read more...

Transport Canada Apologizes for TSB Error

We recently learned a disturbing story, brought to our attention through the COPA Flight 8 Ottawa blogspace.  After the recent TSB Safety Advisory A09Q0071-D1-A1 was reprinted in trust by the Transport Canada Aviation Safety Letter Issue 1-2010, it was discovered that a number of errors were contained which led to unwarranted concern over the amateur built CLASS Bush Caddy.    Read more...

Aviation Security Round Table February 10 2010

On February 10, 2010 Dennis Bevington MP (Western Arctic), New Democrat Transport Critic will be co-chairing with the Honourable Joseph Volpe (Eglinton - Lawrence), Liberal Transport Critic a round table discussion on aviation security on Parliament Hill. The round table will provide a forum for debate and discussion of the various issues surrounding recently implemented increased security measures.

The round table will be held in room253-D Centre Block. It will start at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time with an end time of 12:30 p.m.   Read more...

SafeSkies Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 1

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SAFESKIES NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, No. 1

http://safeskies.ca

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February 1, 2010

In this Issue

  • Latest News from SafeSkies
  • Industry News
  • Aviation Leadership Foundation:  Safety Award Nomination
Read more...

Aviation Leadership Forum: Mark Your Calendars

Leadership is the key to achieving aviation safety excellence and will demand innovation, strategic thinking, passion, skill and most importantly cooperation. In 2007 the Forum was inspired to bring together aviation stakeholders to share best practices around Safety and Leadership.    Read more...