The FAA is pledging to take a series of steps—from improving communications for pilots to conducting further risk analysis—to bolster business and general aviation safety. That pledge followed a “General and Business Aviation Call to Action” that the agency held last week with leaders of several key industry organizations to discuss recent accidents and trends. The summit “will kick-start even greater safety collaboration” between the agency and the industry, the FAA added.

Immediate actions include communicating to pilots the importance of checking notams, familiarizing themselves with destination airports, avoiding complacency by carefully following preflight checklists, and paying attention to onboard collision warnings, even if they don’t think a conflict will occur.

Other actions ahead include a safety-risk analysis of close calls involving a mix of VFR and IFR flight; increasing FAA Safety Team outreach on radio communication phraseology, notams, and operations around Class B airspace; working with Part 135 and air tour operators on safety management system (SMS) implementation; and exploring further tools for pilots to assess operational risk. In addition, the government/industry General Aviation Joint Safety Committee will discuss further strategies this week that can be developed to improve safety.

“Safety is a collective effort that requires constant, proactive collaboration among all stakeholders,” said acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. “Complacency is the enemy of safety, and we need to be vigilant to address emerging risks before they become problems.”

Held at FAA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the call to action on Thursday brought together more than two dozen FAA, industry, and labor representatives with sessions moderated by senior FAA officials; NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen; Sean Elliott, v-p of advocacy and safety for EAA; and Jenny Ann Urban, managing director of air charter and maintenance for NATA.

According to the agency, several themes emerged during the discussion, including a need to improve VFR/IFR interactions, examine methods for VFR aircraft to safely fly through Class B airspace, continue the installation of aircraft-tracking technology in control towers, and enable VFR pilots to broadcast a specific code on their transponders and monitor a specific radio frequency around airports with mixed VFR and IFR traffic.

Concerns were raised about safety drift and a common trend of “acceptance, boredom, and complacency.” This highlighted the need to emphasize the imperative for pilots to pay close attention to details, use their checklists, and implement SMS. The discussions also explored how scenario-based training and AI could enhance safety.