Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 12/26/96
Series: Aviation Management
Part 352: Aviation Safety
Chapter 7: Aviation Safety Awards Program
Originating Office: Office of Aircraft Services
352 DM 7
7.1 Purpose. This chapter establishes the Interior Aviation Safety Awards Program and prescribes the policies, procedures and qualification standards to implement the program.
7.2 Applicability. This program applies to all DOI employees, and other individuals, groups or organizations involved with Interior aviation activities.
7.3 Awards Addressed.
A. Award for In-Flight Actions
B. Award for Safe Flying
C. Award for Significant Contribution to Aviation Safety
D. Secretary's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Safety
7.4 Policy. It is the policy of DOI to recognize individuals, groups and organizations for exceptional acts or service in support of aviation safety and aircraft accident prevention.
7.5 Responsibilities.
A. OAS Aviation Safety Manager. The OAS Aviation Safety Manager is responsible for the overall administration of the Interior Aviation Safety Awards Program.
B. Bureau Aviation Manager. The Bureau Aviation Manager is responsible for the supervision of the Awards program within the respective bureau.
C. Bureau Aviation Safety Manager or Designee. The Bureau Aviation Safety Manager or designee will promote the program within the bureau and implement procedures to collect and verify nominee eligibility.
7.6 Processing and Approval. All nominations will be processed through the respective Bureau Aviation Safety Manager or designee for eligibility verification, then reviewed for approval by the Bureau Executive Committee member of the Interior Aviation Management Board of Directors. Bureaus should contact the Federal Aviation Administration FAA and the appropriate OAS Regional/Area Office for information pertaining to a nominee during the verification process. The FAA mailing address is: FAA, Information Management Section, AFS-624, P. O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. FAA request for pilot "Accident/Incident and Enforcement Action History" must include the pilot's full name, Airman Certificate Number and date of birth.
Prior to consideration and approval of an In-Flight Actions Award by the Bureau Executive Committee member of the Interior Aviation Management Board of Directors, nominations will be submitted by the Bureau Aviation Safety Manager or designee to the OAS Safety Office for review and concurrence.
Approved award recipients or nominees for the Secretary's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Safety will have their award packets forwarded to the OAS Aviation Safety Manager for final processing. Nominations will be consolidated and forwarded to the Chairman, Interior Aviation Management Board of Directors for selection. The committee chairman shall notify OAS of the selectee.
Non-selected nominations will be returned to the Bureau Aviation Office for consideration of an alternative award.
7.7 Award for In-Flight Actions. The award is established to recognize on-board flight crewmembers, air crewmembers, and passengers who, through outstanding airmanship, courage or other action, materially contribute to the successful recovery from an emergency, or who minimize or prevent aircraft damage or injury to personnel during a DOI aviation related occurrence. The award may be presented to non-DOI personnel.
A. Standard. Any individual having sufficient knowledge of the in-flight action may submit a nomination.
B. Criteria. The circumstances surrounding the occurrence must be documented to clearly demonstrate outstanding airmanship, skill, knowledge, judgment, technique, courage or other exemplary action.
C. Award Categories.
(1) Flight Crewmember Award. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to selected flight crewmembers.
(2) Air Crewmember Award. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to selected air crewmembers. This award is restricted to individuals who are not flight crewmembers, but are assigned air crewmembers.
(3) Individual Non-Crewmember Award. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to selected individuals who are non-crewmembers.
D. Procedures.
(1) Nominations will contain a narrative of the event and action taken by the nominee(s) to deal with the emergency or minimize damage or injury.
(2) Nominations should be submitted within 30 days of the event.
(3) Emergencies under the following conditions will not be considered for the award:
(a) Self-induced emergencies.
(b) Actual emergency occurring during a simulated emergency requiring no added skill to land the aircraft successfully, e.g., a single-engine landing is required after an unsuccessful attempt to restart an engine intentionally shut down to practice single-engine procedures.
(c) Emergency occurring due to non-compliance with published regulations, procedures or policy guidance; e.g., deviation from a preplanned and approved non-special use activity to a low-level flight which results in a wire strike and emergency landing or engine failure due to fuel starvation as a result of poor pre-flight planning, and fuel management, etc.
7.8 Award for Safe Flying. This award is established to recognize DOI pilots who have distinguished themselves by safe flying for the period considered, while flying as a full-time (GS-2181), dual function or incidental pilot. This award is restricted to DOI employees.
A. Standards.
(1) All dates of computation for this award must be for the period of time the employee was on official DOI pilot status. However, periods of consideration need not be consecutive. A copy of pilot status authorization or other substantive documentation must be submitted with the nomination.
(2) While acting as a DOI pilot, if the nominee has experienced an aircraft accident where pilot error or negligence was a causal or contributing factor, that individual is ineligible for consideration for any years prior to the accident. Dates of consideration are not retroactive for periods prior to a known accident and must not be omitted to avoid identification of an accident or unsafe behavior.
(3) The nominee must have demonstrated safe, professional behavior as a DOI pilot for the period of consideration.
B. Criteria. The criteria for consideration of presentation of these awards are:
(1) Full-time (GS-2181), dual function, or incidental pilot.
(2) Only pilot-in-command flight hours will be considered for this award.
(3) All flight time submitted will have been acquired while flying at the controls while on official business for DOI.
C. Awards. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to selected pilots.
D. Award Categories.
(1) Award of Merit - Five years or 1,000 hours of safe flying.
(2) Award of Distinction - Ten years or 3,000 hours of safe flying.
(3) Award of Excellence - Fifteen years or 5,000 hours of safe flying.
(4) Award of Honor - Twenty years or 7,500 hours of safe flying.
(5) Secretary's Award of Honor - More than 25 years or more than 10,000 hours of safe flying.
E. Procedures. Each nomination will include:
(1) Full name, FAA Airman's Certificate Number, and date of birth.
(2) Pilot status (e.g., full-time GS-2181, dual function or incidental). If an incidental pilot, the Letter(s) of Authorization for the years being considered.
(3) Period of consideration and total number of safe flying hours attained.
7.9 Award for Significant Contribution to Aviation Safety. This award is established to recognize an individual, group or organization for significant contribution to aviation safety or aircraft accident prevention within DOI. This award is restricted to DOI employees.
A. Standard. Any individual having knowledge of the significant contribution may submit a nomination.
B. Criteria.
(1) The circumstances being presented must clearly demonstrate a significant contribution to aviation safety or aircraft accident prevention effort within DOI.
(2) The circumstances being considered must be verified and attested to for the substance and accuracy of the proposal by individual(s) other than those being considered for the award.
C. Awards. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to the individual(s).
D. Procedures. Nominations for this award will be in narrative form identifying, in detail, the act or service to be considered and why the act or service is deserving of recognition.
7.10 Secretary's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Safety. This award is established to recognize an individual, group or organization for outstanding contribution to aviation safety or aircraft accident prevention within DOI. This award is restricted to DOI employees and only one such award shall be presented annually.
A. Standard.
(1) Individual or group contribution did not occur during an in-flight emergency (see paragraph .7, Award for In-Flight Action).
(2) Any individual having sufficient knowledge of the contribution may submit a nomination.
B. Criteria.
(1) The circumstances being considered must clearly demonstrate an outstanding contribution to aviation safety or aircraft accident prevention within DOI.
(2) The circumstances being considered must be verified and attested to for the substance and accuracy of the proposal by individual(s) other than those being considered for recognition.
C. Award. An appropriate recognition item shall be given to the individual or group.
D. Procedures. Nominations for this award will be in narrative form identifying, in detail, the act or service to be considered and why the act or service is deserving of recognition.
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