Surveillance

We conduct surveillance to make sure individuals and organisations that hold aviation authorisations are managing their safety risks and complying with the relevant regulations.

We do this by:

checking their systems and products
looking at their documents and manuals
examining other available data and intelligence.

Key focus areas

Until 30 June 2023, we are focusing on the following key focus areas when we conduct surveillance. We also look at broader processes, procedures and documentation.

Our key focus areas are determined by:

consultation and engagement with industry
risk profiling and safety trends.

We encourage authorisation holders to look at their processes, procedures and documentation in the areas listed below. This will help ensure you are maintaining safety, monitoring performance and mitigating potential risks.

Flight operations (CASR Parts 121, 133, 135, 138)

Regulatory transition

Recreational, private and commercial pilot flight training (Part 141)

Student training records
Head of Operations (HOO) responsibilities and the maintenance of resources
Personnel standards

Integrated and multi-crew pilot flight training, contracted recurrent training and contracted checking (Part 142)

Personnel standards
Safety / quality management (management of operational risks)
Human factors training standards

Approved Maintenance Organisations (Part 145 / CAR 30)

Maintenance work packages and subtasks
Safety systems reporting and issue resolution (Part 145)
Internal audit

Maintenance training organisations (Part 147)

Online training delivery
Conduct of examinations
Course records

Continuing airworthiness requirements for aircraft and aeronautical products (Part 42)

Management of aircraft storage and return to service
Airworthiness review certificates
Quality system

Aerial work operations – other than rotorcraft (Part 137)

Safety promotion
Training management
Loading

Aerodromes (Part 139)

Aerodrome emergency response
Wildlife hazard management
Personnel standards

Aerodrome rescue and firefighting services (Part 139H)

Appropriate category of service
Service during required hours
Competency maintenance

Air traffic service providers (Part 172)

Change management
Staffing levels
Competency assurance

Air traffic services training providers (Part 143)

Change management
Staffing levels
Subject matter expert and graduate competence

Aerial work operations (other than rotorcraft)

Flight and duty records
Aircraft serviceability
Maintenance scheduling.

Aeronautical telecommunication service and radio navigation service providers (Part 171)

How technical staff are utilised
Change management
Engagement of external resourcing

Instrument flight procedures design (Part 173)

Maintenance of instrument procedures
Designer staffing and recency
Conformance with procedures

Aeronautical information management (Part 175)

Publication of correct aeronautical data and information
Staffing
Conformance with procedures

Unmanned aircraft and rockets (Part 101)

ReOC organisations (RePL training – theory and operation)
Operations near controlled aerodromes

Surveillance findings

Where we discover areas that need action, we issue what we call ‘surveillance findings.’ These are issued directly to the operator.

We classify these findings in a way that encourages a collaborative approach to safety.

Safety alerts relate to regulatory deficiencies that need immediate action
Safety findings relate to regulatory issues that need prompt attention
Safety observations relate to other areas where there may be regulatory issues if they are not addressed
Aircraft safety reports relate to aircraft defects.

Sharing our findings

When we have completed our surveillance activities, we meet with the authorisation holder and talk to them about the results. After that meeting, we write our formal surveillance report and give it to the authorisation holder, along with any specific findings.