APPLICATION FOR BGA BEST PRACTICE AWARD
Club: Southdown
Site: Parham
Current membership numbers: 240
Name of Applicant: Geoff Stilgoe, Safety Officer
Contact telephone number:
Postal address:
E- mail address (confidential):
Please describe briefly the “Good Practice” that is subject of this application.
Minor incident reporting system internal to the club
Has this involved any changes in order to improve practices at your club? If so, what?
No changes required apart from introduction of the report form and promoting its use. Existing communication channels used for feedback
How did you identify the need for change, if any and what investigations were carried out?
On taking on the Safety Officer role, it became obvious that useful lessons from incidents were being passed on by word of mouth or were being ‘lost’. Follow-up was ad hoc
How long have the ideas been in operation at your club?
3 years
Costs and resources: What financial and other resources were required to implement the proposals?
Costs. None Resources: Safety officer’s time to collate, report, publicise and discuss follow-up by relevant club officers Evaluation:What are the results, to date?
Incidents do not get ‘lost’, they are publicised (de-identified in the club magazine). Any trends in ‘accident precursor events’ are identified and dealt with. Issues arising are discussed in the regular instructors’ meetings

Has future club policy been affected? If so, how? No direct effects at policy /management level, but CFI and chairman have improved safety oversight which improves focus on key issues What recommendations have you to share with other clubs that might benefit from your experience?
The reporting system should be as simple and informal as possible and anonymous if the reporter wishes. Anyone should be able to report, not just those directly involved. The SO must reserve the right to upgrade to a formal BGA report if this is judged to be necessary. A structured feed back process is essential Do you know of any other club that has adopted this idea?
Not known, but the process has been presented to other clubs in the S.E. at regional SO meetings
Please return this form to Roger Coote, British Gliding Association, Kimberley House, Vaughan Way, Leicester, LE1 4SE, or email it to office@gIiding.co.uk
ADDENDUM
Based on the principle of CHIRPS and colloquially known as "Murphies" (MRFI‘s = Minor Report for Information), this is an anonymous form of reporting, available to all. It is a popular focus, both in the club newsletter and at instructor meetings where the subjects retain their anonymity.
Attached:
The Reporting Form
A typical summary, as published in the club magazine, and as used for the basis of discussion at instructors’ meetings.
MINOR REPORT FOR INFORMATION
This form is used to report minor events, where a safety issue is apparent, but not involving personal injury, or damage to aircraft or vehicles. Any club member may make a report. Reporters should bear in mind that the reports will be open to all, in the interests of safety

awareness. DATE

TYPE OF INCIDENT: (Circle one or more as appropriate)

Aircraft (Ground) Aircraft (Airborne)

Vehicle

Other

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT Description of Incident

Continue on reverse............
Minor Reports for Information September 2008 - December 2008 (C) denotes a club aircraft was involved.
Motor glider took off to the north, forcing tug on base leg to the south to go around.

(C)
Motor glider did not give way to aerotow combination on converging course, forcing tug pilot to take evasive action. (C)
Motor glider balked a landing K21, forcing it to change its circuit direction. (C)
K21 landed in next door field from a low circuit, having abandoned a high downwind approach from the opposite direction. (C)
Private single seater made wheel-up landing on airfield after practice competition finish.
DG505 landed on airfield wheel-up. (C)
K21 strayed too far downwind on local flight. Landed out. (C)
K21 rear harness unlocked by interference with stick when pilot made a large aileron input during a spin entry. (C)
K21 deliberately ground looped after cross field downwind landing following late takeover from mis-handled simulated aerotow failure. (C)
Pilot inadvertently self released from aerotow just after takeoff. Landed safely on airfield. (C)