AS9120 Certified Parts: Effective Prevention from Aviation Accidents

AS9120 CERTIFIED PARTS: EFFECTIVE PREVENTION FROM AVIATION ACCIDENTS (DEMO)

Commercial flights in America are relatively safe for several years now since the last accident in 2009, but the same couldn’t be said with general aviation. A Washington Post report cited 440 fatalities in general aviation flights since 2012, in which pilots were held responsible for the accidents. However, a recent investigation found that pilots are, in fact, victims in most crashes.
05 Washington Post published an investigation by the online news source, USA Today, which reported that the actual fault in many of these accidents lies with manufacturers or distributors of aviation parts, and not human error. Manufacturers have reportedly been covering up their mistakes by saying that pilots failed to follow their advice and recommendations. With increasing aviation deaths every year, strict implementation of AS9120 certified parts is an appropriate response for effective prevention of fatal crashes due to faulty parts. Defective Parts, Pilots Get Blamed AS9120 is a set of standards for quality management systems, including requirements set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for the acquisition of materials and parts used in the aerospace industry. An AS9120 certification is acquired from auditing and certification bodies like the International Standards Authority, Inc. (ISA). Assessors or auditors from these agencies evaluate the company’s systems, specifically requiring suppliers to focus on areas impacting product safety and reliability. After July 2011, similar companies now provide renewals of the revised AS9120 certification standard. According to the Washington Post report, defective parts that cause plane crashes include leaking airplane exhaust system, engine failures, and flawed ice protection systems, among others. Helicopter parts like fuel tanks and blades have also cost lives when they malfunction, killing bystanders with sharp and heavy debris. Like auto parts, plane parts should also be regularly checked for corrosion for replacement and repair immediately. Some major manufacturers have reportedly been covering their failures with defective aviation parts. Several airplane parts from fatal crashes have been flawed for a long time, but owners knew little of the defects, thus, they continued to fly their planes. Apparently, even the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hasn’t investigated these accidents closely enough to prevent small plane accidents that, ultimately, were attributed to deficient components and parts. Distributors of aerospace products understand that an AS9120 (Quality Management System) certification will boost their business credentials for meeting higher industry standards for procurement specifications, operational efficiency, and risk management. With consistent improvement of processes, comes reduced operational costs and enhanced customer relations. Most important, quality parts and service save lives. (Source: The many reasons small planes crash. Washingtonpost.com. Dec. 9, 2014)