Safety Culture Perceptions in a Collegiate Aviation Program: A Systematic Assessment

An assessment of the perceptions of respondents on the safety culture at an accredited Part 141 four year collegiate aviation program was conducted as part of the implementation of a safety management system (SMS). The Collegiate Aviation Program Safety Culture Assessment Survey (CAPSCAS), which was modified and revalidated from the existing Commercial Aviation Safety Survey (CASS), was used. Participants were drawn from flight students and certified flight instructors in the program. The survey captured the perceptions of participants on the status of the safety culture in the program. There were significant variances in the perception of respondents on the safety culture by year groups, and it was observed that respondents who had spent more years in the program had a better perception on the prevailing safety culture than those who had just entered the program. There were also significant differences in the perceptions of U.S. resident students and international contract students on the program’s safety culture. The international students had a less favorable perception of the safety culture in the program. The results show that differences in national culture can have a significant effect on perceptions of the safety culture in a collegiate aviation program.