Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Zero accidents for 166,000 hours 
Continuous specialized and systematic flying safety management
Improved personnel awareness and intensified educational program
The fruit of application of Korean risk management system

The safety efforts of the Air Force are bearing abundant fruit.

The Air Force realized a “Safe Air Force”, recording the first year of accident-free flight in 66 years since its foundation in 1949.

This 166,000-hour no-accident record includes 80,000 hours of the Singapore International Air Show 2014 (Feb. 2014), Red flag training in Alaska (Sept. 2014) and rescue recovery support for Sewol ferry (Apr. 2015) as well as around 14,000 sorties. There were two minor incidents, but since it counts only above the medium level of accident, it is considered the first major record since the foundation of the Air Force. Medium level of accident means a fatal accident in which a pilot who died on duty, missing or ruined aircraft, etc.

The Air Force has been continuously carrying out specialized and systematic flight safety management with the aim of “Safe Air Force without accident” so far. They particularly enhanced safety consciousness for pilots, improved specialized and systematic flight safety management ability and intensified educational programs through betterment of safety management organization.

For the enhancement of safety consciousness, they first conducted a campaign by air wing for making compliance with regulations and procedures a part of life and establishment of safety culture. The Air Force Headquarters also actively held a safety education tour and safety discussion at the mission field as well as a contest of emergency measures for pilots.

For improving the ability of flight safety management, they minimized noise damage according to the constant change of environment surrounding the base due to urbanization and increase of private houses. And for raising safety, they upgraded traffic patterns and routes of arrival and departure, and updated safety measures for civil aircraft-flying bases and long-term operating fighter (F-4/5). Furthermore, Korea-Operation Risk Management (K-ORM) has been strengthened, which eliminates obstacles to safety through integrated inspection for flight safety risk factors for pilots.
 
They adjusted functions for the safety task by integrating it into the Air Force Operations Command (AFOC) from the southern and northern combat command, the subordinates of the AFOC. The existing air wing inspection affair was reformed as inspection safety affair to reinforce the safety task function.
 
In addition, the Aviation Safety Management Group and Flight Standards Group have been combined into the Air Force Aviation Safety Group, which performs military and civil air accident investigation, educational programs related to aviation safety, etc. The Air Force regarded last year as a big achievement for steering safe units, and determined to make its best effort to complete main missions such as safety management and maintenance of readiness posture with everyone of the Air Force in harmony.

By Seung-Bok, Lee < yhs920@dema.mil.kr >

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