Aircraft Accident Investigation Report

40 The Civil Aviation Regulations, 2012, has no specific operating regulations that govern the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ in Jamaica’s airspace. The Civil Aviation Regulations 2012 has no expressed requirement for an Approved Training Organization to submit and receive approval for a Security Programme. State Civil Aviation System and Oversight Functions In 1996 the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority was established, headed by a Director- General, supported by the appropriate and adequate technical and non-technical staff, and provided with adequate financial resources. Section 6C of the Civil Aviation Act empowers the Authority to appoint and employ such officers and employees and agents as it thinks necessary for the proper carrying out of the provisions of the Act. The Director General is made responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the Authority. The Flight Safety Department is the unit within the JCAA which is tasked with the responsibility of carrying out safety oversight of civil aviation in Jamaica. A Delegation of Functions Document was issued by the Director General, which authorizes the personnel listed therein to perform functions on behalf of the Director General, Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. Technical Personnel Qualification and Training To effectively fulfil its responsibilities, the JCAA must be properly staffed with qualified personnel capable of accomplishing the required wide range of technical duties involved in safety oversight. The minimum requirements for Aviation Safety Inspectors are set out in the Flight Safety Administration Procedures Manual (FSAM), Appendix I – Job Descriptions Flight Safety. The training guidelines for Aviation Safety Inspectors are set out in Section 3.4 and Appendix A. FSAM Section 3.4 states “ The JCAA expects the Flight Safety Inspectors to operate with a high degree of knowledge in order to make decisions critical to public safety and security……. The policy requires that each Inspector and technical support staff shall attend at least one refresher or new technology oriented course each year, once the individual’s initial formal training is completed ”. The FSAM Section 3.4.2 states “ Airworthiness Inspectors will be given manufacturer’s endorsement courses (ATA 104 Level III) on the specific aircraft types that they will be providing oversight for ”. There was no documentation seen on the training file of the Airworthiness Inspector who was assigned to the ATO at the time of the accident, which demonstrated that manufacturer’s endorsement courses on the specific aircraft types operated by the ATO were provided. The Delegation of Functions document seen on file included