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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CAST?CAST is a U.S. government-aviation industry partnership that has developed an integrated, data-driven strategy to reduce the commercial aviation fatality rate in the United States.
What is the CAST goal?
The goal established by CAST when it was formed in 1998 was to reduce the accident fatality rate by 80 percent by 2007. Today's metrics report that by implementing the most promising safety enhancements, the fatality risk of commercial air travel in the United States has been reduced by 83 percent.
What is the CAST approach to improving safety?
The CAST process is straightforward: Analyze causes of past accidents, identify areas where changes may have prevented them, implement promising safety enhancements, measure results, and repeat the process.
What is a safety enhancement?
A safety enhancement is the adoption of a procedure or training, or installation of equipment that will eliminate the cause of an accident.
Does CAST address general aviation and helicopter operations?
CAST addresses Part 121 scheduled airliner operations. General aviation is being addressed by an organization similar to CAST called the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee. The helicopter community formed the International Helicopter Safety Team using the CAST model to improve helicopter aviation safety.
Why does the safety accident rate for CAST differ from the FAA safety accident rate?
CAST only addressed Part 121 (commercial aviation operations), did not include ramp accident fatalities and was based on a five-year-moving average. CAST defined a fatal accident as those where a fatality to passengers or crew occurred.
The 65 percent accident reduction rate used by the FAA is based on calculations of commercial data accident rate over the past 10 years and covers Party 121 and Part 135 (general aviation operations). The calculations include ramp accidents and accidents where the only fatalities were not on the airplane.
What are the most prevalent categories of accidents?
The most prevalent accidents fall into the following categories: approach and landing loss of control, controlled flights into terrain, runway incursions, mid-air collisions, and uncontained engine failures. CAST activity has greatly reduced the following accident categories: controlled flights into terrain, approach and landing, and loss of control.
What is the cost savings associated with the CAST Safety Plan?
The safety enhancements put in place by the CAST Safety Plan are predicted to save the industry more than $600 million each year. These savings are in cost avoidance (not profit), including loss of life, aircraft, devaluation of stock prices, insurance fees, and other indirect legal costs.
What is the cost of implementing the Safety Enhancements in the CAST Safety Plan?
The cost of implementing the safety enhancements was projected to be only $500 million, spread out over 10 years (1998 through 2007). The accident cost per flight was $76. Implementation of the most promising safety enhancements was expected to reduce this cost by $56 per flight, saving the industry more than $600 million a year.
What is CAST doing to reduce the accident rate worldwide?
CAST is promoting new government/industry safety initiatives throughout the world. Accident rates and causes vary by region and do not lend themselves to "cookie-cutter" solutions. CAST coordinates with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), International Air Transport Association (IATA), European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA), Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and other organizations. CAST has established links to other safety initiatives, such as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (ECAST), Pan American Aviation Safety Team (PAAST), several ICAO Coordinated Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Program (COSCAP) initiatives, and other regional safety programs.
