The SoCal Aviation Association (SCAA) has developed what might be the first business aviation-focused system in the U.S. to allow users to read and interact with operational safety data from other members of the same organization. Called Share (Safety Hazard Awareness Reporting & Empowerment), the program uses an open-format interface created by Baldwin Aviation and does not require an operating safety management system (SMS).

SCAA safety committee chairman and Qualcomm chief pilot Candace Covington told AIN the committee has believed for some time it was “leaving an awful lot [of safety data] on the table without sharing it.”

Baldwin Aviation president and CEO Don Baldwin emphasized the traditional difficulties with data-sharing that almost got in the way of the new approach. “Most of our clients don’t want to share their data,” he said.

According to Covington, Share took form after safety committee members attended an airline info-sharing event and realized there was a great deal that could be learned from their fellow business aviation operators. The Share system securely de-identifies the incident data before releasing it for trend analysis. Covington said aircraft are designated only as jet, turboprop or rotary-wing.

One item slowing the process somewhat is the need for each company to file its own internal SMS report and then another version with Share that does not include details identifying the specific operator. As the system becomes more robust, Covington says it will provide more interactivity so pilots and safety managers can ask questions about what they read. “We’re still new at this,” she said.