While the press seems to be only interested in accidents and incidents at air shows that take place in front of the crowd line, it is important to remember that the vast majority of incidents and insurance claims take place behind the fence. From concession tent fires to on–airport traffic accidents to weather-related accidents or injuries, a great air show will always have a documented process for dealing with these events. Does your air show have a plan in place for addressing these issues as they come up?
In the summer of 2006, a Hawker Hunter crashed after takeoff. The Oregon International Air Show realized that it did not have clear guidance to follow in the event of an accident, so it went forward to develop a living document that has served as the basis for the show’s ground operations. The OIAS invites you to take a look at their safety guidelines and ICAS encourages your air show to use what you deem pertinent to develop your own plan for incident mitigation. Their guidelines may be found here. As we’ve learned, the most important issue in safety is documentation.
