The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) plays a very important role in flight safety, and not only in Russia. But usually it is remembered only when a plane crash occurs and the committee's specialists begin to investigate its causes. What does the IAC do the rest of the time, what people work in it, how 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 TASS in an interview.
— 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 level of flight safety has reached a five—year maximum. Is the trend of a high level of flight safety continuing and is this due to a decrease in the number of flights?
— First of all, I want to correct you a little. The IAC Annual Safety Report analyzes its status in all States parties to the Agreement on Civil Aviation and on the Use of Airspace, and not only in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the recorded number of aviation accidents — 26 — is indeed the minimum not only for a five-year period, but also for the period since 2006. If you look at it retrospectively, there were fewer in 2005 — 25 air accidents. This year, if you look at the first five months and compare with the same period last year, the positive vector remains: there were five air accidents compared to nine in 2023.
I would like to note that in the analysis of flight safety, especially in the analysis of trends, not absolute indicators are used, but relative ones — that is, the same parameters per 1 million departures. In the case of our states, due to the relatively small raid, that is, the small statistical base, it is necessary to consider a longer period, for example, five years, to analyze trends.
But the main thing is not the indicators, but the real measures and steps that should be taken to improve flight safety. When flying general aviation, the events that occur in most cases are the result of weakened control 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 difficult and non-standard situations. And such approaches need to be changed. An aircraft is the transport of responsible and professional people.
— Oleg Georgievich, you are a pilot by profession. Did your view of aviation change when you joined the IAC a year and a half ago?
— I have been working in civil aviation for more than 35 years. Since the beginning of my pilot career, I have developed a basic 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.
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 has been changed during this time of your work?
— In 2023, structural divisions were optimized, aimed at improving the effectiveness of accident investigations.
Over the past year, the IAC has managed to reduce the time for accident investigations. Thus, compared to previous years, the number of pending investigations has decreased by half. Work on improving the efficiency of the IAC in this area will continue.
— Let's go back to the origins: what was the POPPY created for?
— 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 dire need of a new regulatory framework, methodological and practical implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices in the field of air navigation, airworthiness maintenance, training of specialists, in the accident investigation system - in almost all areas. And the committee assumed a number of important functions, having developed an extensive list of aviation rules, manuals, methodological recommendations, having created a system for training aviation specialists, a system for independent investigation of aviation accidents. All this has helped and helps our states meet the high standards of ICAO.
In order to implement the provisions of the Agreement on Civil Aviation and on the Use of Airspace in the interests of the aviation administrations of the States parties to the Agreement, the 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 training of aviation personnel.
In today's difficult environment, we continue to implement the principles laid down when creating the Interstate Aviation Committee, based on close international cooperation, and remain committed to a holistic and comprehensive approach to 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 — the investigation of aviation accidents. Not everyone knows why the committee is involved in this, and not law enforcement agencies. What major incidents and disasters are being investigated by the MAC? Will you provide assistance in the investigation of the disaster with the helicopter of Iranian President Raisi, 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 was operated in Iran (the same Tu-154 aircraft), we have developed close working relations with colleagues. There is a corresponding bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of accident investigation with civil — I emphasize this word — aircraft.
In the case of the President's helicopter, as you know, it was not an aircraft designed or manufactured in the States of our Agreement. Besides, as we understand it, the board was not civilian. Despite this, after the news of the disaster with the helicopter of the Iranian President, the IAC sent condolences and proposals to the official authorities to assist in the investigation of the causes and circumstances of the accident.
Returning to the first part of the question, about investigations. The investigation of aviation accidents 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 participated in investigations in 76 countries around the world. Based on the results of the investigations, recommendations are being developed to improve flight safety, in which, to a large extent in recent years, special attention has been paid to the problems of research in the field of the "human factor", ornithological provision of airfields, and problems of maintaining the airworthiness of general aviation aircraft.
About "major investigations". There are two remarkable provisions in the "bible" of all investigators of the world — Appendix 13 "Investigation of aviation accidents and Incidents" to the Chicago Convention: "The sole purpose of investigating an aviation accident or incident is to prevent aviation accidents and incidents in the future. The purpose of this activity is not to establish the share of anyone's guilt or responsibility" and "The scope of the investigation and the procedure for its conduct are determined by the competent authority for the investigation of aviation accidents, depending on the lessons to be learned from the investigation in order to improve flight safety." Therefore, for us, all investigations based on the results of which we can draw such lessons, that is, propose preventive measures to prevent similar events in the future, are large.
— Another high-profile disaster for our country occurred with a Falcon 10 private jet on the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan? How is the investigation going?
— In order for you to understand the answer to this question, you need another digression into Appendix 13. There are five basic concepts there: the State of the place of the event, the State of registration of the aircraft, the State of the aircraft operator, the State of the aircraft developer and the State of the aircraft manufacturer. In the case of 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 duty of the State of the place of the event to appoint an investigation of air accidents, in the vast majority of cases this State conducts an investigation. Other States have the right to participate in the investigation.
But there is an important caveat: the State of the place of the event may, after the appointment of an investigation, transfer its conduct to another state. As a rule, this is the State of registration of the aircraft.
We have built a constructive dialogue, and consultations are currently underway with the Afghan side on organizing the transfer of flight information recorder for analysis.
— Are the circumstances of the disaster known now, what versions and causes of the incident are being considered by the IAC and is there a deadline for completing the investigation?
— At this stage, it is premature to talk about any deadlines for completing the investigation, its results, and even more versions. The IAC has no legal grounds to disclose information about the progress of the investigation in the public field.
Within the framework of our powers, a commission has been established to investigate this event, which works with available information on the territory of the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. All these States are parties to our Agreement.
At the same time, I can assure you that, as in other cases, all the hazard factors we identify are immediately brought to the appropriate authorities and organizations for corrective measures.
— What kind of assistance did the Taliban government provide? Were there restrictions for IAC specialists in Afghanistan? In general, is it more difficult to conduct investigations in other countries?
— Work with Afghan officials is conducted through the Russian Embassy in Kabul and with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
What is the difference between the organization of the investigation of aviation accidents abroad? The basic principles are the same. All are guided by ICAO standards. The investigation is usually conducted by an independent body of the State in whose territory the incident occurred. The participating States, which I mentioned above, appoint an authorized representative and advisers. Usually, this international group works quite well together. Developers and manufacturers provide support.
And we are ready to cooperate with all participants in the process, provided they are professionally motivated to achieve the main result — improving flight safety.
— Let's go back to Russia. Tell us, how is the work organized inside the MAC? Are the inspectors involved in the investigation of plane crashes some kind of full—time IAC specialists who go to the office every day? How many such specialists are there? Is there a shortage of such personnel?
— First of all, I want to clarify a very important detail: the investigation is usually conducted 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 involving Civil Aircraft in the Russian Federation, it is conducted by a commission formed by the IAC. Its chairman is always a staff member of the committee, which guarantees the independence of the investigation. Members of the commission can be both employees of the IAC and employees of other bodies and organizations. The chairmen are appointed by the most trained specialists of the IAC, who, as you noted, "go to the office every day" — these are 25 employees.
In addition, experts from a wide variety of professions are involved in the investigation: pilots, engineers, air traffic control specialists, meteorologists, doctors, psychologists and others. Also, in addition to the members of the commission, a significant number of attracted specialists usually participate in the work.
Upon arrival from the field stage of the investigation, the commission members continue to work in the IAC laboratory and in the workplace. Also, a significant part of our specialists carry out in-house data processing: they analyze all the factors affecting flight performance, decode data from recorders, analyze aircraft systems and equipment.
The experience of investigating aviation accidents at the IAC is enormous, it is he who allows the work to be carried out planned and on time. The committee is currently investigating more than 20 events.
— And where and how are these piece specialists trained for investigations? Are university graduates willing to go to the MAC? 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 necessarily study the basics of organizing investigations of aviation incidents and accidents.
Most often, future investigators receive primary training at an industry university. Then, having a knowledge base and work experience, they undergo special theoretical and practical training in the field of investigation, after which they receive admission to independent work.
IAC specialists regularly study themselves — they improve their 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.
Given the specifics of our activities, only a few of them, having reached a certain level in their specialty, as well as having studied related industries, having mastered effective leadership of a group of people, possessing exceptional communication skills, can lead an investigation.
And if we talk about prestige, then it can be defined as authority, respect for the profession on the part of society. In our case, I would like to note once again, investigators are experienced specialists with fundamental knowledge in the field of aviation and practical experience in special areas, including experience in organizing and controlling flight support and production processes. Therefore, our specialists are highly appreciated by the experts of the professional community. ICAO recognizes the investigations conducted by the IAC as one of the best in the world.
— How has the disaster investigation process changed over the past few decades? I suspect that new technologies have penetrated into this environment as well?
— Today, the IAC laboratory is one of the world's leading laboratories in the field of flight information research. Recently, outdated on-board tape and film type recorders have been replaced with modern solid-state recorders using memory chips as data carriers. And in this regard, of course, the investigation process has changed dramatically.
Currently, information that can be obtained from devices that are not standard on-board equipment of aircraft is of great importance in conducting investigations of accidents. Such devices include portable satellite navigation receivers, video cameras, cell phones, tablet computers, etc. Such a variety of information sources requires special research, the creation of appropriate new techniques and technologies.
The IAC laboratory receives a large number of devices for research that accumulate flight information using non-volatile memory chips. In some cases, non-volatile memory chips have mechanical damage due to an aviation accident, which leads to the need for a large amount of unique work to read the recorded information.
Currently, the IAC laboratory is equipped with software and hardware complexes that allow you to read information from almost all on-board recorders of modern types, both domestic and imported. At the same time, the ability to work with outdated flight recorders is fully preserved, and all necessary equipment is maintained in working condition.
— Is there a need to update the laboratory equipment now and are there any difficulties with this in the context of sanctions?
— Of course, in order to maintain the IAC laboratory at the current level, it is necessary to constantly update both equipment and software. Under the conditions of sanctions, the 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 on the acquisition of flight information recorders, which will be equipped with new Russian aircraft.
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 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 before the Council of the Agreement.
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 a developer/manufacturer abroad.
— What are the plans for the development of the committee? Is it necessary, in your opinion, to reformat it somehow?
— We are not standing still, new approaches to the development of civil aviation and the introduction of new technologies dictate the need for us to update.
For example, in 2023, the IAC created for the first time an engineering and technical department and an accident investigation department with unmanned aircraft. This will require the leadership of the Interstate Aviation Committee to make personnel decisions and improve employee funding in order to attract qualified specialists, especially given that we will soon face the problem of investigating events with unmanned aircraft, ultralight and unregistered aircraft.
— And in terms of international cooperation?
— We are actively involved in regional cooperation. And here we face one of the important tasks: the development and implementation of a database of accounting and analysis of 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. First, the scale: when a state with a relatively small amount of aviation activity and, accordingly, with a small number of aviation events maintains its own isolated database, the practical benefit of analyzing the collected data is extremely small. When we analyze a large amount of data, it 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, it is cheaper for States to develop and maintain a single integrated database.
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 IAC aviation rules and international standards. In addition, work is underway to develop and implement model aviation regulations, guidance and guidance material to assist States in implementing ICAO standards and recommended practices and best practices.
I see my task in strengthening the IAC and strengthening its role in the international arena as a regional aviation safety organization.
— Is there a chance that the IAC will return the function of certification of 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 civil aircraft certification function, since it has not lost it.
The IAC, both earlier and now, as an international regional organization recognized and registered as such with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), certifies civil aircraft and their components in the interests of the States parties to the Agreement on Civil Aviation and on the Use of Airspace.
For our readers, I would like to focus on this.
At the end of November 2015, the Government of the Russian Federation issued Resolution No. 1283 on granting the authority to certify civil aviation equipment to the agency subordinate to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation — Rosaviation. In other words, in Russia, the Federal Air Transport Agency performs the function of mandatory certification. Its certification documents are mandatory for flights in Russian airspace.
At the same time, other States parties to the Agreement did not take decisions on the transfer of certification from the regional level to the national level. In this regard, our work in this direction continues.
I would also like to note that the rules developed by the IAC on certification of aviation equipment, its production, certification of airfields and equipment, training of aviation personnel and others are applied 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 IAC's influence in the geopolitical arena? Perhaps the issue of joining new countries is being worked out — the same Iran?
— Let me remind you that we have agreements in various fields 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 of international cooperation. The Agreement on Civil Aviation and on the Use of Airspace is open to accession by new States. The potential of the Interstate Aviation Committee allows us today to look to the future with confidence and continue to work actively for the benefit of safe, orderly and sustainable development of global civil aviation.
IAC has accumulated considerable knowledge and experience in the field of certification, so we are ready to expand the scope of our services in this direction.
— Does the work of the IAC differ from similar foreign organizations?
— In 1991, the Interstate Aviation Committee became the first organization of its kind. Taking into account the positive experience of the functioning of the IAC, the idea of regional cooperation has been 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 the only two organizations registered with ICAO with three levels of competence are the IAC and EASA.
To compensate for the existing shortage of human and technical resources, 17 regional cooperation initiatives have been launched or are being prepared, including the established Regional Aviation Safety Control Organizations (RSOOs) and Regional Accident Investigation Organizations (RAIOS), covering more than 130 States around the world.
— How is the interaction with foreign aircraft manufacturers and other interested parties going? How has the overall political situation affected interaction with foreign colleagues?
— I want to emphasize that during the investigation, the IAC contacts precisely the same authorized bodies of other states and directly with manufacturers of aviation equipment. We have concluded more than 20 relevant cooperation agreements in the field of investigation.
In any case, all this is within the framework of the global trend towards the consolidation and sharing of human, material and industrial resources, in particular in the field of civil aviation. And we are ready to cooperate with all participants in the process, provided they are professionally motivated to achieve a result to improve flight safety.
Civil aviation, like maritime transport, is a unique industry in terms of international reach and international cooperation. I am sure that for every subject of activity in the field of global civil aviation, the issues of improving flight safety should be an absolute priority. Aviation is designed to unite countries and peoples, and this is impossible without close international and regional cooperation.
