Dolphin Atlantic Inc. operates under a 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand air charter certificate. The SMS is a shared responsibility across the entire organization. While specific leaders have defined accountability, safety is everyone's duty. Management personnel play a key role in setting expectations, allocating resources, and ensuring effective implementation of safety risk controls.
Key Leadership Roles:
- Accountable Executive (AE): Holds ultimate accountability for the SMS. Has authority over resources required to implement and maintain the system. Signs the safety policy [14 CFR §5.23, §5.25].
- Director of Safety (DOS): Manages day-to-day SMS operations. Administers the voluntary reporting system, reviews safety reports, opens and tracks corrective actions, conducts audits, and maintains safety records; administers the CASS program.
- Director of Operations (DO) and Chief Pilot: Exercise operational control and oversee the integration of flight operations within the SMS.
- Director of Maintenance (DOM): Holds company authority for the maintenance program and ensures maintenance-related hazards are addressed through both CASS and the SMS.
Safety Action Group (SAG): Meets regularly to review safety reports and trends, assess risk, recommend corrective actions, and support closure of open items.
Safety Board: Chaired by the Accountable Executive. Meets quarterly to review safety performance data, SPI trends, audit results (including CASS and IEP), and provide strategic direction on safety priorities and resource allocation [14 CFR §5.5, §5.23, §5.25, AC 120-92D].
The voluntary safety reporting system is the primary mechanism for hazard identification. Management personnel are expected to support and encourage open reporting.
How to submit:
- Through FOS (preferred), or
- Directly to the Director of Safety at safety@goldaviation.com
What to report:
- Any near-miss or unplanned event that could have resulted in injury, damage, or loss.
- Any hazard observed in operations, maintenance, facilities, or processes.
- Errors made or observed that could recur.
- Organizational conditions (pressure, fatigue, communication failures) that create safety risk.
Mandatory Reporting: It is mandatory to submit a safety report for specific events. The complete list is maintained in the company document: Mandatory Reports.
What happens after you report:
- Your report is received and acknowledged in FOS.
- The Director of Safety reviews it and classifies the hazard and risk level.
- If corrective action is required, it is opened and assigned in FOS.
- Corrective actions are tracked to closure.
- The system notifies you when the report is closed.
14 CFR §5.21 14 CFR §5.71 AC 120-92D
Management personnel support Safety Risk Management by ensuring hazards are identified, risks are assessed, and effective controls are implemented and monitored.
The five-step SRM process used at Gold Aviation Services:
- Describe the System
- Identify Hazards
- Assess Risk
- Develop and Implement Controls
- Monitor and Review
Management is responsible for providing resources for effective risk controls and participating in SAG reviews of significant risks.
Management must recognize that human factors such as fatigue, time pressure, and organizational stress are systemic issues. Support reporting of these conditions and address them through the SMS rather than individual discipline.
Under the company's just culture policy:
- Honest mistakes and good-faith reporting are protected and used for learning and system improvement.
- Deliberate violations are not protected.
- Organizational pressure that leads to shortcuts should be reported — it is a systemic issue, not an individual failing.
14 CFR §5.23 AC 120-92D SMICG Component 1
As managers at Gold Aviation Services your SMS responsibilities include:
- Promoting a positive safety culture and encouraging open reporting.
- Participating in SAG and Safety Board meetings.
- Allocating resources for safety initiatives and corrective actions.
- Supporting Management of Change reviews for operational or organizational changes.
- Ensuring personnel under your supervision complete required SMS training.
- Reviewing safety performance data and acting on adverse trends.
- Modeling just culture principles in day-to-day decision making.
14 CFR §5.23 14 CFR §5.51–§5.55 AC 120-92D
Management contributes to SMS effectiveness by:
- Actively participating in safety meetings and reviews.
- Ensuring timely closure of corrective actions.
- Using safety data to drive operational decisions.
- Reinforcing that safety and production goals are compatible.
- Supporting the annual SMS cycle and compliance efforts leading to the May 28, 2027 deadline.
14 CFR §5.75 14 CFR §5.77 AC 120-92D
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