Avionics News April 2020 - 31

effective in addressing the safety issue named in the SAFO."
InFOs explicitly excuse inspectors from responsibility
but place responsibility for compliance on aircraft
operators, stating, "Significantly, InFOs do not burden
FAA inspectors with responsibilities additional to those in
their work programs and are not processed in accordance
with the agreement between the FAA and its inspectors'
bargaining unit. The responsibility to implement any action
recommended in an InFO rests with the operator."
Consider the SAFOs mentioned
above that alert parties to possible
improper maintenance activities.
Are SAFOs or InFOs
SAFOS AND INFOS
While complying with a SAFO to
enforceable?
ARE PUBLISHED
the letter may not be a regulatory
Are certificate holders or others
FOR A NUMBER OF
requirement, ensuring your aircraft is
named in the FAA's audience required
REASONS.
THEY
MAY
airworthy and ensuring maintenance
to comply with SAFOs and InFOs?
BE GENERATED AS
was properly conducted is a regulatory
Actions recommended in the SAFOs
PART OF A RESPONSE
requirement.
and InFOs may or may not be
TO A NATIONAL
Air carriers should be particularly
regulatory in nature or enforceable,
TRANSPORTATION
diligent about reading SAFOs and
depending on whether they advise
SAFETY BOARD
completing recommended actions,
the audience of an existing regulatory
RECOMMENDATION.
as appropriate to their organization,
requirement, in which case the
SOME ARE DEVELOPED
considering the warning in the fine
action may be enforced, or provide
IN
CONJUNCTION
print about "meeting statutory duty"
information outside of existing
WITH FAA/INDUSTRY
and providing "service with the
regulation, in which case the action
WORKING GROUPS
highest possible degree of safety."
may be considered voluntary or
TO REPORT ON
administrative in nature.
Further, in the event of legal action
THESE
EFFORTS
OR
against your organization or you as an
Some of these communications
PROMOTE SAFETY
individual, information from SAFOs
tools advise of statutory requirements
RECOMMENDATIONS.
or InFOs could be used to bolster the
or upcoming regulations, while others
other party's case.
are purely informative or voluntary
in nature - particularly InFOs.
While many SAFOs and InFOs
share voluntary or administrative
InFO 19002, "Human Trafficking
information, it's wise to appoint someone in your
Recognition and Response Training for Flight Attendants,
organization to receive new SAFOs and InFOs as they're
Ticket Counter Agents, Gate Agents, and Certain Customer
published, review the information to determine relevance to
Service Personnel," advises certain air carriers of a statutory
your organization, and take action as appropriate. The FAA
requirement to provide training regarding identifying and
requires certain certificate holders to appoint an individual to
reporting potential human trafficking victims. InFO 19003,
receive SAFOs and InFOs through operations specification
"Revisions to Application Requirements for Operations
or management specification A007, but other parties can
in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum Airspace," in
subscribe to receive updates via the SAFO and InFO
contrast, is an example of a purely administrative InFO.
webpages.
However, the introduction in the SAFO template states:
SAFOs can be found at https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/
"A SAFO contains important safety information and
aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/
may include recommended action. SAFO content should be
all_safos/.
especially valuable to air carriers in meeting their statutory
InFOs can be found at the following website:
duty to provide service with the highest possible degree
https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_
of safety in the public interest. Besides the specific action
operators/airline_safety/info/. q
recommended in a SAFO, an alternative action may be as
important information. For example, many SAFOs advise
aircraft operators and owners of improper maintenance
work or parts control. Three SAFOs issued in 2019 warn
aircraft owners, operators, air agencies, and maintenance
technicians of possible improper maintenance performed by
three separate repair stations. These parties were instructed
to inspect their aircraft, records, and parts inventories for any
articles approved for return to service by two of the repair
stations and to inspect the propellers serviced by the third
repair station.

AVIONICS NEWS

*

APRIL

2020

31

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/ https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/ https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/ https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/ https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info/

Avionics News April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2020