Interagency Aviation Lessons Learned 25-03: Pre-Mission Planning

· DOI Office of Aviation Services · 2025

Public domain · DOI Office of Aviation ServicesAviation Safety Documents

Overview

The Interagency Aviation Lessons Learned 25-03: Pre-Mission Planning () is a public-domain DOI Office of Aviation Services aviation safety document, republished here as a free chaptered HTML edition with a linked table of contents and the official PDF.

Publisher: DOI Office of Aviation Services
Document
Year: 2025
Pages: 1

Key points

Effective communication and coordination are critical in aviation operations, especially when crossing jurisdictional or controlled airspace boundaries.
All stakeholders must be included in mission planning early on, particularly when entering adjacent bureau airspace or military operating areas.
The SAFECOM system is designed to share lessons learned and provide recommendations to improve aviation safety.
Lack of prior notification to neighboring airspace jurisdictions can lead to scheduling and deconfliction issues.
PMS 520 NWCG Standards for Airspace Coordination is a recommended reference for interagency airspace coordination.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of the SAFECOM system?

The primary purpose of the SAFECOM system is to share lessons learned and provide recommendations to improve aviation safety.

What issues arose during the planning of the repeater maintenance flights?

The planning phase lacked communication with several key parties, leading to issues with scheduling and deconfliction, which could have been prevented.

Why is pre-mission coordination important?

Pre-mission coordination is important to mitigate confusion, prevent mission delays, and improve aviation safety.

What should be done when entering military operating areas?

When entering military operating areas, prior notification and coordination with the military are required to ensure safety and compliance.

What document is recommended for interagency airspace coordination?

PMS 520 NWCG Standards for Airspace Coordination is recommended as it standardizes safe, consistent approaches to airspace issues.

Document

OAS-35A (4/18)

Interagency Aviation

Lessons Learned

No. IA LL 25-03 May 2 8 , 2025 Page 1 of 1 Subject: Mission Planning and Airspace Deconfliction Area of Focus: Communication and Flight Safety Distribution: All Aviation Operations Discussion: One of the primary purposes of the SAFECOM system is to share lessons learned and provide recommendations to improve aviation safety. The following event was taken from SAFECOM 25-0426.

Multiple repeater maintenance flights were scheduled for the BLM and the NPS. During the initial planning, it was determined that on Day 2, flights would enter the airspace of a neighboring bureau as well as a military operating area (MOA). This triggered a need for boundary airspace coordination, requiring prior notification to the adjacent bureau and coordination on scheduling, as well as deconfliction with the military in the MOA.

During the planning phase, several key parties, including those in neighboring airspace jurisdictions, were not notified in advance. This lack of communication led to issues with scheduling, deconfliction, and didn’t afford the neighboring bureau the opportunity to review or approve the mission in their respective airspace, all of which were preventable.

This event is an important lesson learned on why effective communication and coordination are critical in aviation operations, especially when crossing jurisdictional or controlled airspace boundaries. All stakeholders must be included in mission planning early on, particularly when entering adjacent bureau airspace or military operating areas. PMS 520 NWCG Standards for Airspace Coordination is an excellent reference for interagency airspace coordination that standardizes safe, consistent approaches to issues involving airspace and agency responsibilities.

Emphasizing pre-mission coordination, deconfliction, and mutual notification can mitigate confusion, mission delays and improve aviation safety.

/s/ Keith C. Raley /s/ Lori Clark Keith C. Raley Lori Clark Chief, Aviation Safety, Training, Program Branch Chief - Aviation Safety Management Evaluation, and Quality Management Systems DOI, Office of Aviation Services USDA, Forest Service