The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) plays a very important role in flight safety, and not only on Russian territory. But usually it is acknowledged only when a fatal accident occurs and the committee’s specialists begin to investigate its causes. What does the IAC do the rest of the time, what kind of people work there, how do they interact with foreign colleagues in modern political realities and, most importantly, why this work is so important right now, the Chairman of the IAC, pilot Oleg Storchevoy, told in an interview of TASS.

— In April, the IAC released a report on the state of flight safety in Russia in 2023. One of the main conclusions is that the flight safety level has reached a five-year high. Is the trend of high levels of flight safety continuing and is it related to a decrease in the number of flights?

— Firstly, I want to correct you a little bit. The IAC's annual report on flight safety analyzes its level in all states parties to the Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace, and not just in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the recorded number of aviation accidents - 26 - is indeed the minimum not only for the five-year period, but also for the period since 2006. If we look, with hindsight, there were fewer in 2005 - 25 aircraft accidents. This year, if we take the period of first five months and compare it with the same period last year, the positive vector remains: there were 5 accidents compared to 9 in 2023.

I would like to note that when analyzing flight safety, especially when analyzing trends, not absolute indicators are used, but relative ones - that is, the same parameters per 1 million flights. In the case of our states, due to the relatively short period of time, that is, a small statistical base, to analyze trends it is necessary to consider a longer period, for example five years.

But the main thing is not the indicators, but the real measures and steps that should be taken to improve the flight safety level. When performing general aviation flights, the events that occur in most cases are the result of weakened monitoring by private owners over the technical condition of the aircraft, insufficient training of crews, and sometimes the arrogance of private pilots who are not ready to make the right decisions in complex and unusual situations. And such approaches need to be changed. An aircraft is a vehicle for responsible and professional people.

— Oleg Georgievich, you are a pilot by profession. Has your view of aviation changed since you joined IAC a year and a half ago?

— I have been working in civil aviation for more than 35 years. Since the beginning of my piloting career, I have developed a core set of skills based on the ability to act and make decisions to achieve success, based on a clear assessment of my actions and possible consequences.

The tasks set at IAC have changed, but the main thing cannot change: all my activities are aimed at making decisions that will improve the level of flight safety and progressively develop civil aviation.

At the same time, the understanding of the importance of the IAC as an instrument of regional and international cooperation and the role that the IAC plays in the international arena has strengthened.

— What changes have you managed to make during this time?

— In 2023, the optimization of structural units was carried out, aimed at increasing the efficiency of aircraft accident investigations.

Over the past year, IAC managed to reduce the time required to investigate aircraft accidents. Thus, compared to previous years, the number of unfinished investigations has decreased by half. Work to improve the efficiency of the IAC in this direction will be continued.

— Let's go back to the roots: why was the IAC established?

— The Interstate aviation committee was established in 1991 at the most difficult moment of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of new independent states in one of the largest regions of the world. Then the IAC became the basis for the integration of the states of the region in the field of civil aviation.

At that difficult time, the newly independent States, having become members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), were in urgent need of a new regulatory framework, methodological and practical implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices in the field of air navigation, maintaining airworthiness, training of specialists, and in the system of accident investigation – practically in all areas. And the committee took on a number of important functions, having developed an extensive list of aviation rules, manuals, and methodological recommendations, by creating a system for training aviation specialists, and a system for independent accident investigation. All this helped and still helps our States to meet the high ICAO standards.

In order to implement the provisions of the Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace in the interests of aviation authorities of the member states of the Agreement, IAC carries out activities in the field of coordination and development of aviation medicine, coordination of programs in the field of air navigation, development of civil aviation, coordination of flight safety and aviation personnel training.

As part of all the tasks facing the IAC, business relations have been built with 78 states and 19 organizations with which we have agreements in various areas of civil aviation. Over the past 20 years, more than a hundred of different events, seminars, and courses have been organized, in which more than 15 thousand aviation specialists and inspectors fr om states in the region took part.

In today's difficult environment, we continue to implement the principles laid down during the establishment of the Interstate aviation committee, based on close international cooperation, and remain committed to a holistic and comprehensive approach to ensuring flight safety in the interests of all states parties to the Agreement.

— Let’s touch on the most “popular” function of the IAC in the public consciousness—air accident investigation. Not everyone knows why the committee, and not law enforcement agencies, is involved in this. What major incidents and fatal accidents is the IAC currently investigating? Will you provide assistance in the investigation of fatal accident involving Iranian President Raisi's helicopter? Have the Iranians requested such assistance?

— I'll start with the second part of the question. Historically, since the 90s of the last century, when a lot of Soviet aviation equipment (the same Tu-154 aircraft) was operated in Iran, we have developed close working relationships with colleagues. There is a relevant bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of accident investigation with civil—I emphasize this word—aircraft.

In the case of the presidential helicopter, as you know, it was not aircraft developed or manufactured in the states of our Agreement. Moreover, as we understand, the board was not civilian. Despite this, after the news of the crash with the Iranian President’s helicopter, the IAC sent condolences and offers to assist the official authorities in the investigation of the causes and circumstances of the accident.

Returning to the first part of the question, about investigations. Accident investigation is one of the key areas of our activity. Over the years, the IAC has conducted investigations of more than 900 aviation accidents, including the largest and most high-profile disasters, and took part in investigations in 76 countries around the world. Based on the results of the investigations, recommendations are developed to improve the flight safety level, in which, in recent years, special attention has been paid to the problems of research in the field of “human factor”, ornithological support of airfields, and problems of maintaining airworthiness of general aviation aircraft.

About "major investigations". In the “bible” of all investigators in the world - Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation to the Chicago Convention, there are two remarkable provisions: “The sole purpose of the investigation of an accident or incident is to prevent future aircraft accidents and incidents. The purpose of this activity is not to ascertaining someone’s “guilt or liability” of whose and “The scope of the investigation and the manner in which it will be conducted will be determined by the accident investigation authority depending on the lessons expected to be learned from the investigation to improve aviation safety.” Therefore, for us, all investigations from which we can draw such lessons, that is, propose preventive measures to prevent similar events in the future, are major.

Let me give you an example: this year we already had two events with helicopters whose engines turned off mid-flight. In one case there were no casualties, in the other one person was killed. But, regardless of the consequences, shutting down engines in flight is a big problem, and we consider these investigations to be very large in your terminology.

— Another high-profile disaster for our country occurred with a private Falcon 10 aircraft on the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan? How is the investigation progressing?

—To find out what I mean, another excursion into Appendix 13 is necessary. There are five main concepts: the state of the event, the State the aircraft registration, the State of the aircraft operator, the State of the aircraft designer and the State of the aircraft manufacturer. In the case of the Falcon, the State of the event is Afghanistan, the state of registration and operator is the Russian Federation, and the state of developer and manufacturer is France. It is the responsibility of the State of Occurrence to institute an accident investigation, and in the vast majority of cases it is the State that conducts the investigation. Other states have the right to take part in the investigation.

But there is an important nuance: the State of Occurrence may, after instituting an investigation, transfer its conduct to another State. Typically, this is the State of registration of the aircraft.

We have built a constructive dialogue, and currently consultations are underway with the Afghan side on organizing the transfer of the flight data recorder for the purpose of analysis.

— Are the circumstances of the fatal accident known now, what versions and causes of the incident are the IAC considering, and is there a deadline for completing the investigation?

— At this stage, it is premature to talk about any time frame for completing the investigation, its results, and especially versions. The IAC has no legal basis to disclose information about the progress of the investigation in the public field.

Within the framework of our powers, an investigation team has been established to investigate this event, which works with available information on the territory of the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. All specified states are parties to our Agreement.

At the same time, I can assure you that, as in other cases, all hazards we identify are immediately reported to the relevant authorities and organizations for corrective measures to be taken.

— What assistance did the Taliban government provide? Were there any restrictions for IAC specialists in Afghanistan? In general, is it more difficult to conduct investigations in other countries?

— Work with Afghan officials is carried out through the Russian Embassy in Kabul and with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

How is the organization of air accident investigations abroad different? The basic principles are the same. All are guided by ICAO standards. The investigation is usually carried out by an independent body of the State in whose territory the incident occurred. The participating states I mentioned above appoint an authorized representative and advisors. Usually this international group works quite well-coordinated. Developers and manufacturers provide support.

And we are ready to cooperate with all participants in the process, provided that they are professionally motivated to achieve the main result - increasing the level of flight safety.

— Let's go back to Russia. Tell us how work is organized inside the IAC? Are the inspectors involved in the investigation of fatal accidents some kind of full-time IAC specialists who go to the office every day? How many such specialists? Is there a shortage of such personnel?

— First of all, I want to clarify a very important detail: the investigation is usually carried out by an independent body of the State in whose territory the incident occurred. In accordance with the Rules for the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents with civil aircraft in the Russian Federation, it is carried out by an investigation teams established by the IAC. Its Investigator-in-Charge is always a staff member of the committee, which guarantees the independence of the investigation. Members of the Investigation team can be both employees of the IAC and employees of other bodies and organizations. The most trained IAC specialists are appointed as Investigators-in-charge, who, as you noted, “go to the office every day”—that’s 25 employees.

In addition, specialists from a variety of professions are participating in the investigation: pilots, engineers, air traffic control specialists, meteorologists, doctors, psychologists and others. Also, in addition to the Investigation team members, a significant number of attracted specialists, as a rule, participate in the work.

Upon arrival from the field stage of the investigation, members of the Investigation team continue to work in the IAC laboratory and at work sites. Also, a significant part of our specialists carry out laboratory data processing: they analyze all the factors influencing the flight, decipher data from recorders, analyze aviation systems and aircraft equipment.

Due to the uniqueness of the required skills, there is and always will be a shortage of such specialists. This is a piece good. At the same time, I would like to draw attention to the fact that such unique work should be properly paid. Unfortunately, I can’t say so in the current situation.

IAC has enormous practice in investigating air accidents, which allows it to carry out work as planned and on time. The committee is currently investigating more than 20 events.

— Wh ere and how are these unique specialists trained for investigations? Are university graduates willing to go to IAC? Is there a need to increase the prestige of the profession?

— There is no training of individual specialists in the field of accident investigation in educational institutions of civil aviation or the aviation industry. At the same time, in a number of universities, students and cadets are required to study the basics of organizing accident and incident investigations.

Most often, future investigators receive initial training at a sectoral institute. Then, having a knowledge base and experience in manufacturing activity, they undergo special theoretical and practical training in the field of investigation, after which they receive permission to work independently.

IAC specialists themselves regularly study - improve knowledge, skills and abilities in various fields of aviation, undergo additional professional training in the committee, research and educational institutions of the Russian Federation and foreign countries.

It should be especially noted that the IAC has developed a specialized training program for investigation specialists. Both IAC employees and other aviation specialists of civil and state aviation are trained in it. These are not only representatives from Russia, but also from foreign countries, in particular the states parties to the Agreement

Considering the specifics of our activities, only a few of them, having reached a certain level in their specialty, as well as having studied related fields, mastered the effective management of a group of people, and possessing exceptional communication skills, can lead an investigation.

And if we talk about prestige, it can be defined as authority, respect for the profession by society. In our case, I note again, the investigators are experienced specialists with fundamental knowledge in the field of aviation and practical experience in special areas, including experience in organizing and monitoring flight support and operation. Therefore, our specialists are highly appreciated by experts in the professional community. ICAO recognizes IAC investigations as among the best in the world.

— How has the process of fatal accident investigation changed over the past few decades? I suspect that new technologies have penetrated this environment as well?

— Today, the IAC laboratory is one of the leading laboratories in the world in the field of flight data research. Recently, outdated tape and film-type on-board recorders have been replaced with modern solid-state recorders that use memory chips as information carriers. And in this regard, of course, the investigation process has changed dramatically.

Currently, data that can be obtained from devices that are not standard aircraft on-board equipment is of great importance when conducting accident investigations. Such devices include portable satellite navigation receivers, video cameras, cell phones, tablet computers, etc. Such a variety of information sources requires special research and the development of appropriate new methods and technologies.

The IAC laboratory receives for research a large number of devices that accumulate flight data using non-volatile memory chips. In some cases, non-volatile memory chips have mechanical damage due to an air accident, which leads to the need for a large amount of unique work to readout the registered data.

Currently, the IAC laboratory is equipped with hardware and software systems that make it possible to readout data from almost all modern types of on-board recorders, both domestic and imported. At the same time, the ability to work with outdated on-board recorders is fully preserved, and all necessary equipment is maintained in working condition.

— Is there a need now to update laboratory equipment, and are there any difficulties with this under the sanctions?

— Certainly, to maintain the IAC laboratory at a modern level, constant updating of both equipment and software is necessary. Under the sanctions, IAC is deprived of the opportunity to purchase the necessary equipment from most leading foreign manufacturers. In connection with import substitution, issues are being resolved regarding the purchasing of on-board flight data recorders, which will be equipped with new Russian aircraft.

Technologies do not stand still, and funding in this area is constantly required so that in the near future this does not lead to the loss of some competencies and a decrease in the quality of research performed.

And the IAC laboratory complex, I would like to emphasize once again, is the only such complex in the region and one of the leading ones in the world. It is advisable not to reduce the existing potential, but to consistently and systematically increase it and equip the laboratory with modern equipment. That is why we constantly raise the issue of the need for additional funding for our laboratory with the Agreement Council.

At the same time, it should be noted that in the current situation it is extremely difficult to conduct research on systems and assemblies based on the developer/manufacturer abroad.

— What are your plans for the development of the committee? Do you think it needs to be reformatted somehow?

— We do not stand still; new approaches to the development of civil aviation and the introduction of new technologies dictate the need for us to update ourselves.

For example, in 2023, the IAC created for the first time an engineering and technical department and a department for investigating accidents with unmanned aircraft. This will require the leadership of the Interstate aviation committee to make personnel decisions and improve funding for employees in order to attract qualified specialists, especially given the fact that we will soon be faced with the problem of investigating events with unmanned aircraft, ultralights and unregistered aircraft.

— And in terms of international cooperation?

— We are actively involved in regional cooperation. And here we are faced with one of the important tasks: the development and implementation of a database for recording and analyzing flight safety events in the interests of the states of the region. It is planned to develop such a database in cooperation with our states as a single, integrated system.

Why integrated? This construction option looks preferable for at least two reasons. Firstly, scale: when a state with a relatively small volume of aviation activity and, accordingly, a small number of aviation events maintains its own isolated database, then the practical benefit of analyzing the collected data is extremely small. When we analyze a large volume of data, this allows us to use this tool much more effectively on a large sample of events and, accordingly, to approach the problem of flight safety management more effectively. Secondly, developing a single integrated database and maintaining it costs less for states.

Of course, the IAC plans to continue implementing the plan for training aviation specialists of states, licensing and certification of aviation industry entities based on the IAC aviation rules and international standards. In addition, work is underway to develop and implement model aviation regulations, guidelines and guidance material to assist States in implementing ICAO standards and recommended practices and best practices.

At the same time, it should be noted that in the current situation it is extremely difficult to conduct research on systems and assemblies based on the developer/manufacturer abroad.

— Is there a possibility that the IAC will return the function of certifying civil aircraft? Is this being discussed?

— To answer this question, it is useful to agree on terminology. The IAC does not need to “return” the function of certifying civil aircraft, since it has not lost it.

The IAC, previously and now, as an international regional organization recognized and registered as such with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), carries out certification of civil aircraft and their components in the interests of the States parties to the Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace.

I would like to focus our readers’ attention on this.

At the end of November 2015, the government of the Russian Federation issued Resolution № 1283 on granting the authority to certify civil aviation equipment to the agency subordinate to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation - Rosaviatsiya. In other words, in Russia the function of mandatory certification is carried out by the Federal Air Transport Agency. Its certification documents are mandatory for flights in Russian airspace.

At the same time, other States parties to the Agreement did not make decisions on transferring certification from the regional to the national level. In this regard, our work in this direction is in progress.

I would also like to note that the rules developed by the IAC for the certification of aviation equipment, its manufacture, for the certification of airfields and equipment, for the training of aviation personnel and others are used in some states and have direct enforcement. In this regard, maintaining these rules and making timely amendments is of no small importance. The committee pays significant attention to this work and plans to continue working in this direction.

— Are there any plans to expand the influence of IAC in the geopolitical arena? Perhaps the issue of adherence of new countries, such as Iran, is being considered?

 — Let me remind you that we have agreements in various areas of civil aviation with 78 states and 19 organizations.

It should be said that the successful activities of the IAC in the region and the world have attracted the attention of other neighboring states that have expressed their intention to join the Agreement, including Iran. Perhaps soon we will have several more states.

The Interstate aviation committee intends to expand this activity, despite the difficulties encountered in international cooperation. The Agreement on Civil Aviation and Use of Airspace is open to adherence by new states. The potential of the Interstate aviation committee allows us today to look into the future with confidence and continue active work for the benefit of the safe, orderly and sustainable development of global civil aviation.

In the field of certification, IAC has accumulated significant knowledge and experience, so we are ready to expand the scope of our services in this direction.

Perhaps, as a new format for interaction with the states of the region, the establishment on the basis of the IAC of a regional certification organization for member states of the EEC, BRICS and SCO should be considered.

— Does the work of the IAC differ from similar foreign organizations?

— The Interstate aviation committee in 1991 became the first organization of its kind. Taking into account the positive experience of the functioning of the IAC, the idea of ​​regional cooperation was embodied in the creation of organizations similar to the IAC in other regions of the world. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is one example of such an international regional organization. I would like to emphasize that only two organizations registered in ICAO with three levels of competence are IAC and EASA.

To compensate for existing shortfalls in human and technical resources, 17 regional cooperation initiatives have now been launched or are in preparation, including the establishment of Regional Safety Oversight Organizations (RSOOs) and Regional Accident Investigation Organizations (RAIOs), covering more than 130 countries around the world.

— How is interaction with foreign aircraft manufacturers and other interested parties going? How has the political situation in general affected your interaction with foreign colleagues?

— I would like to emphasize that during the investigation, the IAC is in contact with the same authorized bodies of other states and directly with aircraft manufacturers. We have concluded more than 20 relevant cooperation agreements in the field of investigation.

In the current conditions, we maintain working relationships with the majority of countries producing aviation equipment, including the USA, France, Italy, Czech Republic and others. There are only problems with Canada and Poland, although previously the relations were working. Moreover, failure to comply with international standards comes precisely from these states.

In any case, all this is part of the global trend towards consolidation and sharing of human, material and manufacturing resources, in particular in the field of civil aviation. And we are ready to cooperate with all participants in the process, provided that they are professionally motivated to achieve results in increasing the level of flight safety.

Civil aviation, like maritime transport, is a unique industry in terms of international reach and international cooperation. I am confident that for every actor in the field of global civil aviation, issues of increasing the level of flight safety should be an absolute priority. Aviation is designed to unite countries and peoples, and it is impossible without close international and regional cooperation.

https://tass.ru/interviews/21287025