ARSA RSS Feed ARSA LinkedIn
Ask ARSA Pay ARSA

Survey Reveals Gaps in Inspector Training

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report (GAO 05-728) examines FAA efforts to ensure that its inspectors receive adequate technical training needed to do their jobs. It includes a GAO analysis of the inspector training program, and the results of a survey of FAA inspectors. The GAO generally approved of the FAA’s achievements but stressed the need for better evaluation of the effects of training on inspector performance. The results of the survey, however, painted a very different picture.

The FAA inspectors surveyed generally felt they did not receive adequate technical training. The FAA’s own data shows that less than half of FAA inspectors have completed at least 75% of essential technical courses. Only slightly more than half of the inspectors surveyed said that they thought they had enough technical knowledge to do the job. Almost 60% said their training was delivered in a timely manner “to some or no extent.”

GAO consulted ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod and VP-Operations Paul Hawthorne in preparing the report, which is entitled Aviation Safety: FAA Management Practices for Technical Training Mostly Effective; Further Actions Could Enhance Results.



More from ARSA

Quick Question – Inventory Costs for EASA Compliance

Since the FAA withdrew its of acceptance of ARSA’s E100 form in 2022, ARSA has been engaged with American and European regulators trying to address major misunderstandings related to parts…Read More

Further Clarifying Part 145 using “Current Data” Proposal

On May 1, ARSA and three other trade associations commented on the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking addressing “miscellaneous maintenance-related updates.” The NPRM would remove the requirement from § 145.109…Read More

FAA Bill on Final Approach

There’s a lot of love in the FAA reauthorization bill unveiled April 29. House and Senate negotiators have worked for months to craft a compromise based on legislation passed last…Read More

FAA Expands SMS Applicability without Part 145 (for now)

On April 26, the FAA published to the Federal Register its new rule expanding Safety Management Systems (SMS) requirements to all operators of commuter and on-demand service and commercial air…Read More

Help Assess Commercialization of Anti-Corrosion Technology

ARSA has been approached by a government contractor preparing a Commercialization Readiness Assessment Report for a product developed through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  The product being assessed…Read More
ARSA