Commercial and Business Aviation Advisory Circulars

Crew Resource Management Training

PURPOSE

This Air Carrier Advisory Circular (ACAC) is intended to clarify the interpretation of the Crew Resource Management (CRM) training requirements outlined in Section 705.124 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (the Regulations) and Subsection 725.124(39) of the Commercial Air Services Standards (the Standards).

BACKGROUND

Transport Canada has identified a potential for variation in the interpretation of the standard.

The present standard is under review and the results/recommendations will be consulted through the Commercial Air Services Operations (CASO) Committee.

AIR OPERATOR PROCEDURES

Until such time as an official amendment is made, Subsection 725.124(39) of the Standards may be interpreted as follows.

• INITIAL TRAINING: (Paragraph 725.124(39)(a) of the Commercial Air Services Standards)

For those air operators who provided CRM training to all crew members (pilots and flight attendants) prior to the implementation of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, initial CRM training need not be repeated provided the air operator’s initial CRM training program completed at that time meets the requirements of subparagraphs 725.124(39)(a)(i) to (viii) of the Standards.

New air operators and those air operators who did not provide CRM training in the past are required to submit an initial training program. This does not include the requirements for annual training, paragraph 725.124(39)(b) of the Standards. Initial training is not required to be conducted jointly with pilots and flight attendants.

• ANNUAL TRAINING: (Paragraph 725.124(39)(b) of the Commercial Air Services Standards)

All air operators must meet the requirements of paragraph 725.124(39)(b) of the Standards for annual training.

Crew member evacuation drills, subparagraph 725.124(39)(b)(iv) of the Standards, however, can be substituted with one of the following:

1. A joint session, including a debriefing, in a classroom, simulator, or aircraft that includes:

• crew member introduction,

• pilot-in-command to in-charge flight attendant to cabin crew members briefing, and

• role play of a problem solving exercise (i.e. unruly passenger, hijacking, fire in the lavatory, etc.); or

2. A joint fire fighting exercise, including a debriefing, in a classroom, simulator, or aircraft that includes:

• pilot and flight attendant responsibilities,

• importance of crew coordination in fire fighting and ways to achieve same, and

• importance of crew communication; or

3. A joint crew member emergency evacuation drill, including a debriefing, conducted in a classroom, simulator or aircraft.

NOTE: If option 3 is chosen by the air operator, this one emergency evacuation drill can satisfy the requirements of both paragraph 725.124(14)(e) of the Standards (Emergency Procedures Training for Pilots), as well as the requirements of subsection 725.124(39) of the Standards (Crew Resource Management Training).

When the performance criteria, evaluation criteria and equipment criteria are met, this same drill can also satisfy the requirements for the Flight Attendant’s Annual Crew Prepared Evacuation Drill (TP 12296, Flight Attendant Training Standard, Drills, 7.2.5 ).

GENERAL

"The Elite Crew: Safety Enhancement Training" was distributed with the Flight Attendant Training Standard. This guidance material was developed to provide crew members with a skill-based program to combat human error by improving and reinforcing specific individual skills.

For a copy of this document, write to Transport Canada, Cabin Safety Standards, Place de Ville, Tower C, 330 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N8.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of the above procedures will meet the intent of the Crew Resource Management (CRM) training requirements outlined in Section 705.124 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (the Regulations) and Subsection 725.124(39) of the Commercial Air Services Standards.

A.J. LaFlamme
Director
Commercial and Business Aviation